ATLANTA, Ga. - Twenty-five runs and 38 hits powered the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team to a sweep at Emory University Saturday afternoon, March 16. The Titans (6-4) rolled to a 15-4 win in game one, before clipping the Eagles (8-6) 10-3 in the second leg of the doubleheader.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 15, Emory 4
Freshman Hailey Milgazo (Poway, Calif.-Poway) smoked a leadoff single to third base to get the game started. Sophomore Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) bunted Milgazo to second, before juniors Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) and Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) loaded the bases. Kuhn walked and Khoury was plunked, bringing freshman JD Dowling (Roselle, Ill.-Lake Park) to the plate. Down to her final strike, Dowling put a ball high into the sky above second base. With an assist from the sun, the ball dropped at the edge of the grass to bring home two.

Leading 2-0 after just one half inning of action, IWU saw Emory answer in the bottom of the first. Back-to-back singles put runners on the corners before a sac fly cut IWU's lead in half. Sophomore Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) escaped the jam as freshman catcher Elyssa Stenger (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) threw out a runner on the base paths before Dowling pulled in an inning-ending fly out in center.

IWU appeared poised to score in the second, as Stenger drew a leadoff walk. Milgazo and Kuhn singled to load the bases with two outs, but a fly out ended the threat.

A one-out single from Milgazo chased the Emory starter from the game in the fourth. With Milgazo on second after a wild pitch by the new Eagle in the circle, Beckman whacked an RBI triple to deep left-center. A run-scoring groundout from Kuhn lifted IWU to a 4-1 lead after three and a half innings.

The Titans pounced for three runs in the fifth, using a barrage of singles to increase their cushion. Khoury drilled a leadoff single up the middle and senior Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) followed with a ducksnort to right. Stenger kept the hits coming with a single up the middle to load the bases with the lineup turning over to the top. A pinch-hit bloop single down the first-base line from senior Hope Yeoman (West Lafayette, Ind.-William Henry Harrison) drove in IWU's first run of the frame. Milgazo's swipe of second made way for another run before Beckman capped the inning with an RBI single through the left side.

Emory cut into the Illinois Wesleyan advantage in the bottom half, manufacturing three runs on four hits, but the Green and White responded.

A two-out rally with sophomore Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) on first, saw Dowling and Turner walk to load the bases with Stenger digging into the batter's box in the sixth. Battling to a full count, Stenger roped a bases-clearing single to right center to give IWU a six-run cushion, 10-4.

The Green and White put the leadoff batter aboard for the fourth time in the seventh as Milgazo slapped a single to the shortstop. After a bunt moved Milgazo to second, Kuhn poked a base knock through the right side to put runners on the corners. Khoury took full advantage of the opportunity, lifting a two-run double down the right field line. IWU piled it on with Turner's two-run two-bagger off the center field fence. The doubles continued, this time with Stenger clubbing one down the left field line to drive in Turner as Illinois Wesleyan carried a 15-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Milgazo went 4-for-4 with three runs scored to pace the IWU offense. Stenger drove in a team-best and career-high four in a 3-for-4 showing, while five others recorded multiple hits. Dowling, Turner, and Khoury tacked on two RBIs apiece.

In the circle, Certa went the distance to collect her third win of the season to climb to 3-1. The Third Lake, Ill. native struck out four with seven hits allowed in the complete game victory.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 10, Emory 3
The Titan bats remained hot as IWU ran out to an early lead. After Milgazo reached on an error, she took second on a wild pitch. Beckman then roped a triple to the right-center gap to bring in Milgazo for the first run of the game. Kuhn singled to drive in Beckman and Wissmiller doubled to push Kuhn across the plate. A walk by Turner loaded the bases, where an untimely Emory error added another run as Illinois Wesleyan went up, 4-0.

With runners on the corners, Emory used a chopper through the left side to crack the scoring column. The Eagles loaded the bases with a bunt single with one out, but sophomore Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) escaped the jam to limit the damage.

Similar to the first inning, Milgazo got on base with a bunt single and scored on a hit from Beckman. With Beckman standing on third after a stolen base and sac bunt, Khoury singled to push the Titan lead to 6-1.

The Green and White added runs in each of the final four innings, while the Eagles scored one in the fifth and one in the seventh as IWU took home the sweep, 10-3.

The Titans put up 19 hits in the game, matching their total from game one, with six players notching two or more. Beckman and Milgazo led the way with four hits each, with Dowling and Kuhn tallying three apiece. Kuhn, Beckman, and Wissmiller tied for the team lead with two RBIs each.

Gatchell threw a complete game to up her record to 2-1, allowing 10 hits and striking out one. 

Illinois Wesleyan will turn its attention to its home opener set for Thursday, March 21, against Monmouth College. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Inspiration Field.