BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team took both ends of a doubleheader from North Park University Sunday, April 21, at Inspiration Field. After run-ruling the Vikings 8-0 in game one, the Titans rolled to a 13-4 victory in game two. With the sweep, Illinois Wesleyan upped its record to 21-8 overall and 8-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin standings. NPU stumbled to 9-21 on the year, 4-6 in league play.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 8, North Park 0 (5 inn.)
Illinois Wesleyan scored in three straight innings to knock off North Park in run-rule fashion. Sophomore Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) singled with one out in the third before juniors Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) and Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) reached base. Sophomore Casey Wissmiller dug in with bases loaded and cranked a 1-0 offering out and over the fence in left to push IWU ahead, 4-0, with her third grand slam of the season.

Singles by Beckman and sophomore Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) kept the Titans going in the fourth as a single to right off the bat of freshman Hailey Milgazo (Poway, Calif.-Poway) coupled with an error drove IWU's lead to 6-0. Kuhn added an RBI knock to increase the advantage to seven into the fifth.

Sophomore Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) pitched around a leadoff double in the top of the frame, getting an out on a sacrifice bunt before fanning back-to-back batters to send IWU back to the plate.

Wissmiller completed a 3-for-3 day with a leadoff single in the fifth. Senior Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) followed with a poke to right center and Wissmiller scored on a play at the plate that was ultimately ruled obstruction to finish off the 8-0, five-inning victory.

Certa went the distance, tossing her 12th complete game of the season, as she secured her fifth shutout this year. The sophomore fanned six and walked one, while allowing just two hits.

Wissmiller headlined the run support with a 3-for-3 effort that included four RBIs. Beckman went 2-for-3 with two runs scored as a total of seven Titans registered hits.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 13, North Park 4
The Vikings, playing as the home team, carried a 1-0 edge into the fourth before the Titan offense erupted for eight runs. IWU used four hits and two errors to put up a big number on the scoreboard. Kuhn's single started the frame, while an RBI single from Turner and a two-run double by Post gave IWU its first lead of the day. Beckman drew a bases-loaded walk, while a pair of errors extended the advantage to 6-1 before Kuhn's two-run double pushed the score to 8-1, in favor of the Green and White.

After sophomore Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) stranded a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth, Milgazo used a duck snort single to center to drive in two in the top of the fifth.

A three-run homer by NPU cut the IWU lead to six, 10-4, in the bottom of the fifth. Beckman ended the inning with a diving catch worthy of a spot on ESPN's Sportscenter Top-10.

Khoury singled to lead off the sixth and was lifted for senior speedster Isabelle Piwowarczyk (Hometown, Ill.-Oak Lawn), who came around to score on a double to right-center by Wissmiller to push the Titans ahead, 11-4.

The Green and White tacked on two in its final trip to the plate courtesy of a Khoury sacrifice fly and an RBI double by Turner to finish off the 13-4 victory.

The Titans continue their eight-game homestand Wednesday, April 24, as the Green and White takes a break from conference action to host Coe College. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.