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SB | IWU vs Carthage
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8
Winner Carthage CARTHAGE 12-11, 6-3 CCIW
6
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 17-11, 5-2 CCIW
Winner
Carthage CARTHAGE
12-11, 6-3 CCIW
8
Final
6
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
17-11, 5-2 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Carthage CARTHAGE 0 0 7 0 1 0 0 8 10 0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 6 10 2

W: Alonzo,N (8-1) L: Monk, Madie (3-3)

4
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 18-11, 6-2 CCIW
0
Carthage CARTHAGE 12-12, 6-4 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
18-11, 6-2 CCIW
4
Final
0
Carthage CARTHAGE
12-12, 6-4 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 4 12 0
Carthage CARTHAGE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

W: Mardjetko, Nina (7-4) L: Conway, M (2-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Mardjetko’s No-Hitter Leads Softball to Senior Day Split

Program’s first no-hitter since 2020

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Junior Nina Mardjetko (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont) threw a no-hitter to propel the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team to a split with Carthage College on Senior Day Saturday, April 23, at Inspiration Field. A late-inning comeback fell short 8-6 in game one, but Mardjetko's no-hitter led to a 4-0 win in game two. With the split, IWU now sits at 18-11 overall and 6-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Carthage dipped to 12-12 on the year and 6-4 in league games. 
 
Game One: Carthage 8, Illinois Wesleyan 6
After a clean first half inning in the circle by senior Madie Monk (Manteno, Ill.-Manteno), freshman Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) smacked a leadoff home run to left center. The Green and White continued to push the envelope early as back-to-back singles by junior Mikayla Fairfield  (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) and senior Hayley Earl (Washington, Ill.-Washington) had IWU in business. A stolen base by Earl paved the way for Fairfield to scamper home to create a 2-0 cushion, before senior Colleen Palczynski's (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-Prospect) groundout plated another run to push IWU ahead, 3-0.

The Firebirds erupted in the top of the third, scoring seven runs on seven hits and an error to stake a 7-3 lead after three and a half frames. 

Carthage tallied another run in the fifth inning to open up an 8-3 advantage.

The Titan offense reignited in the sixth, as Palczynski drilled the team's second home run of the afternoon over the left center field fence, driving in Fairfield and cutting the deficit to three, 8-5. Coming off the bench, freshman Alison Kern (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) and sophomore Hope Yeoman (Lafayette, Ind.-Willam Henry Harrison) ripped pinch hit singles, with Yeoman bringing home junior Madison Moore (Verona, Wis.-Edgewood) to trim the Carthage lead to two, 8-6, into the seventh.

A one-out single by Kuhn brought the tying run to the plate with one out, but IWU was retired on a fly out and popout to end the comeback short, 8-6.

Monk got the start in the circle for the Titans, tossing two plus innings of action, taking the loss (3-3). Junior Natalie Grubczak (Medinah, Ill.-Lake Park) finished the game off in the circle, throwing the final five innings, while striking out six.

Both teams generated 10 hits apiece, with the Green and White's top of the lineup leading the way. Kuhn, Fairfield, and Earl each went 2-for-4, with Fairfield scoring twice and Kuhn driving in one. Batting cleanup, Palczynski finished 1-for-3 with a homer and three driven in.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 4, Carthage 0
Mardjetko tossed a no-hitter behind a tremendous defensive effort in game two. Mardjetko went all seven innings as she notched her team-leading seventh win of the season. The Lemont, Ill. native fanned one, ending the game with a strikeout, as she tossed the first no-hitter by a Titan since Ally Wiegand's perfect game against Illinois College Feb. 20, 2020.

The Titan offense gave Mardjetko run support from the jump as Kuhn beat out an infield single to begin the game. A Palczynski base knock put two on with one out and was followed by an RBI single by Moore. A single to the left side by Khoury was deflected and brought Palczynski home, upping the IWU advantage to 2-0 after a half inning.

Palczynski belted a homer in the top of the third to push the lead to three, and Yeoman drove one in in the fifth to plate IWU's fourth and final run. 

Mardjetko retired the final nine batters in-a-row, including a game-ending strikeout, to secure the victory. 

The Titans finished with 12 hits spread among six players. Kuhn and Moore each went 3-for-4 in the contest, while Palczynski went 2-for-2 with a homer, three runs scored, and a pair of walks. Turner finished 2-for-3 at the plate, to pair with an outstanding defensive showing at second base.

Illinois Wesleyan will be back in action tomorrow, April 24, for a doubleheader against North Park University. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Inspiration Field.


 
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