Certa Collects Third CCIW Pitcher of the Week Award

IWU’s first back-to-back CCIW Pitcher of the Week since 2019

4/22/2024 3:00:00 PM

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - For the second straight week and the third time this season, sophomore Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) of the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team reeled in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Pitcher of the Week honors. Certa is the first Titan to earn the award three times in one season since Natalie Grubczak did so last season, while she is the first IWU pitcher to garner the award in back-to-back weeks since Ally Wiegand did so during the 2019 season.

Certa was incredible in a six-game, three-day stretch for the Titans, April 19-21. Certa kept the Titans atop the conference standings with a 3-0 week that saw her throw complete game shutouts in each of her three appearances. Certa totaled 17 strikeouts on the weekend with only three walks, while holding opponents to .138 at the plate.

She began the week with a seven-inning shutout at North Central, April 19, where she needed just 92 pitches to secure a three-hit blanking of the Cardinals. A key CCIW victory for IWU, Certa fanned seven in a 2-0 win. She followed that up with a pair of five-inning run-rule victories. Certa allowed just three hits in a 12-0 win over Carthage, April 20, before limiting NPU to two hits in a five-inning 8-0 win, April 21. Certa struckout four against Carthage and six against North Park.

The big three-game stretch has Certa holding a 0.21 ERA since conference play began. She is 5-0 in league starts with four shutouts.

Certa and the Titans take a break from conference action for a twin bill against Coe College Wednesday, April 24, at Inspiration Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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