TUCSON, Ariz.- The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team split a pair of games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, Friday, March 6. No. 5 Illinois Wesleyan (3-1) dropped a 3-0 decision against No. 1 Texas Lutheran University before blanking Pacific Lutheran University, 3-0, in the late game.

Game One: Texas Lutheran 3, Illinois Wesleyan 0
Senior Ally Wiegand (Downs, Ill.-Downs-Tri-Valley) threw all 6.0 innings, giving up seven hits, and recording eight strikeouts. Sophomore Hayley Earl (Washington, Ill.-Washington) provided IWU's lone hit of the game, a single up the middle. 

Texas Lutheran grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, as an error came around to score on a RBI single.

Junior Hannah Heraty (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) battled in the box to receive a walk before junior Brittany Murphy (Canton, Ill.-Canton) advanced her to scoring position with a sac bunt but Heraty was left stranded in the top of the third. 

TLU expanded on its lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. With bases loaded, TLU stroked a liner to the right side to take a 3-0 lead before a strong relay from Shelby Fulk (El Paso, Ill.-El Paso-Gridley), Colleen Palczynski (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-Prospect), and Mia Massaro (Homer Glen, Ill.-Providence Catholic) ended the inning on the run-scoring hit.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 3, Pacific Lutheran 0
A lights-out policy saw the night cap end in five innings, as IWU scored three runs on three hits to come away victorious.

In the circle, senior Brea Walker (Gibson City, Ill.-GCMS) tossed 5.0 innings, striking out six, and allowing just two hits. Walker's run support came courtesy of RBI hits from senior Sam Berghoff (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney Young), Earl, and junior Lexy Trammell (Peoria, Ill.-Limestone), who accounted for IWU's three hits.

With the game scoreless through two and a half innings, Heraty made it to second on a throwing error to move into scoring position for Berghoff. With two outs, Berghoff smacked a double to left center, trading places with Heraty, to break the 0-0 deadlock. 

The Titans added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Massaro drew a one-out walk before a fielder's choice put Fulk on first with Earl coming to the dish. The hot-hitting sophomore came through with a triple to right center, scoring Fulk, and crossed the plate on Trammell's RBI knock.
Walker pitched a clean fifth, inducing a pair of groundouts and a fly out, to seal the 3-0 win in five innings.

The Titans return to action Saturday, March 7 with a 1:30 p.m. MT first pitch against Emory & Henry, followed by a 3:30 p.m. MT game with No. 2 Christopher Newport.