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Softball Set for Twin Bill Versus No. 9 Tigers

First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

4/11/2022 11:31:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team takes a break from conference play Tuesday, April 12, for a doubleheader against ninth-ranked DePauw University at Inspiration Field. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Illinois Wesleyan heads into the twin bill having won its previous 11 contests. The Titans now sit at 16-7 on the season, including a 4-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark. DePauw owns an 18-6 mark and carries a five-game win streak into Tuesday. The Tigers last loss came via a 12-inning affair that saw DU drop game two of a double dip to Chapman, March 30.

IWU and DePauw have faced off against one another 29 times, with the Titans holding a 17-12 edge in the all-time. The series, which began in 1999, has seen the Tigers record wins in each of the last three matchups. Illinois Wesleyan is in search of its first win against DePauw since April 2, 2019 when the Green and White defeated the Tigers, 13-5, in six innings in game one of a doubleheader.

The Titans' win streak has been fueled by a heavy-hitting lineup, which has seen seven different players hit a homerun. IWU, which has hit 21 homers this season, is led by senior Hayley Earl (Washington, Ill.-Washington) offensively. Earl leads the team with a batting average of .410 and 24 RBIs, while she ranks second on the team with five homeruns. Freshman Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) tops the team with six round-trippers, while senior Colleen Palczynski (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-Prospect) has pounded four HRs this season. Junior Madison Moore (Verona, Wis.-Edgewood) and sophomore Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) have hit two apiece, while sophomore Megan Fontanetta (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) and freshman Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) belted one each.

In the circle, juniors Natalie Grubczak (Medinah, Ill.-Lake Park) and Nina Mardjetko (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont) are tied for the team lead with five wins apiece. Grubczak picked up two key CCIW wins over the weekend to boost her record to 5-1 and leads the team in earned run average. Meanwhile, Mardjetko's 30 strikeouts are a team-high. Senior Madie Monk (Manteno, Ill.-Manteno), who is coming off a complete game shutout victory, ranks second on third on the team with 20 strikeouts.

First pitch of the double dip is scheduled for 4 p.m. Live stats and a live stream of the twin bill will be available. Links can be found on the softball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

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