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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.
Kodiak Creative
3
North Park NPU 13-18, 5-10 CCIW
7
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 20-12, 8-3 CCIW
North Park NPU
13-18, 5-10 CCIW
3
Final
7
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
20-12, 8-3 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
North Park NPU 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4 0 0 3 0 0 X 7 10 1

W: Mardjetko, Nina (8-4) L: Feazelle, Rachael (6-8)

7
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 21-12, 9-3 CCIW
2
North Park NPU 13-19, 5-11 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
21-12, 9-3 CCIW
7
Final
2
North Park NPU
13-19, 5-11 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 7 8 1
North Park NPU 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 5 3

W: Mardjetko, Nina (9-4) L: Malicki, Alyssa (5-9) S: Monk, Madie (1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Homers Aplenty in Softball’s Sweep of North Park

Titans move to 9-3 in the CCIW

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan University softball freshman Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) homered three times, while junior Natalie Grubczak (Medinah, Ill.-Lake Park) and senior Colleen Palczynski (Mt. Prospect, Ill.-Prospect) each homered once in a doubleheader sweep of North Park University Wednesday afternoon, April 27, at Inspiration Field. IWU (21-12, 9-3 CCIW) won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin clashes by scores of 7-3 and 7-2 over NPU (13-19, 5-11 CCIW).

Game One: North Park 3, Illinois Wesleyan 7
After the Vikings used a walk, hit batter, and homerun to take a 3-0 lead before an out had been recorded, the Titans were forced to play from behind.

A solo shot by Kuhn kickstarted the Titan offense in the bottom of the first, as the freshman leadoff hitter blasted her fifth round-tripper of the season. Junior Madison Moore (Verona, Wis.-Edgewood) walked and Palczynski singled to put two on for Grubczak. Wasting little time, the IWU pitcher turned designated player smoked a three-run homer to center to give the Green and White a 4-3 lead after just one inning.

With junior Nina Mardjetko (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont) holding the Vikings bats at bay, IWU tacked on a few insurance runs in the fourth. Sophomore Megan Fontanetta (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) walked to turn the lineup over to Kuhn, who homered again to up the Titan lead to 6-3. Moore then drove in sophomore Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) with an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-3 into the fifth.

Key defensive plays and strong work in the circle by Mardjetko closed out the win, 7-3, as the Vikings offense mustered just four hits on the day.

Mardjetko dazzled in relief, throwing seven scoreless innings, while allowing just three hits and striking out eight.

Palczynski cranked out a team-high three hits in four at bats, while Kuhn went 2-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs. Five other Titans notched hits, including Grubczak's 1-for-3 showing, which included three RBIs. In addition to Kuhn's two round-trippers, sophomore Hope Yeoman (Lafayette, Ind.-William Henry Harrison) and Turner each recorded a double.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 7, North Park 2
Bats remained hot in game two, as Kuhn broke the game open with a homer, her third of the day. Freshman Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) followed with a two-run double to give IWU a 3-0 cushion after just half an inning.

NPU pushed a run across on a bases loaded single to trim the Illinois Wesleyan advantage to 3-1 in the second, before a solo home run by the Vikings made it a one-run game, 3-2, into the fourth.

The Titans offense broke through once again in the sixth, as the Green and White plated four runs on three hits and three errors. After a two-run blast by Palczynski, freshman Kennady Estes (Warrenton, Mo.-Warrenton) recorded the first RBI of her career. Fontanetta finished off the offensive outburst with a RBI single to score Yeoman and up IWU's lead to 7-2 after five and a half innings.

Senior Madie Monk (Manteno, Ill.-Manteno) split time in the circle with Mardjetko and earned the save in relief. Mardjetko carried over from the first game, throwing the first three innings with two strikeouts. Monk earned a lengthy save, holding IWU's lead intact with four strikeouts in relief.

Offensively, Palczynski finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk. Fontanetta also tallied a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 at the plate. 

Illinois Wesleyan continues its busy stretch tomorrow, April 28, with a twin bill at North Central College. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

 
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