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May 17, 2024 | Postgame huddle
1
Winner Wis.-Oshkosh WIS.-OSH 41-4
0
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 31-11
Winner
Wis.-Oshkosh WIS.-OSH
41-4
1
Final
0
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES
31-11
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Wis.-Oshkosh WIS.-OSH 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 2
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1

W: B. Bougie (7-1) L: Certa, Gianna (19-3)

8
Winner Saint Benedict SAINT BE 26-18
3
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 31-12
Winner
Saint Benedict SAINT BE
26-18
8
Final
3
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES
31-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Saint Benedict SAINT BE 0 6 0 2 0 0 0 8 11 1
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 14 1

W: E. Peterson (14-6) L: Gatchell, Caroline (8-7)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Bows Out of NCAA Tournament

Titans end season 31-12

OSHKOSH, Wis. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team saw its season come to an end on day two of NCAA Regional play Friday, May 17, at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The Titans dropped a 1-0 bout with host UWO before falling, 8-3, in an elimination game to the College of Saint Benedict. IWU concludes the season with a 31-12 overall record, its highest win total since 2019.

Game One: UW-Oshkosh 1, Illinois Wesleyan 0
With sophomore Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) carrying a no-hitter, junior Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) wore a pitch off the arm to reach safely with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) followed with a single to put two on, but a pop out and a fly out kept the Green and White off the scoreboard. 

A single broke up Certa's perfect game bid in the fifth and saw the sophomore run into some trouble as a double and walk loaded the bases with two outs. Khoury tracked down a fly out in foul territory to strand the bases loaded and keep the game scoreless. 

UW-Oshkosh kicked off the seventh with a double to left which was aided by an IWU error to put the leadoff batter on third. UWO capitalized with an RBI double to plate the game's lone run before Certa and sophomore Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) combined to strand a runner in scoring position. After a popout, Gatchell entered in relief and promptly used a fly out and a strikeout to send IWU back to the plate. 

Turner began the bottom of the seventh by getting plunked and was lifted for freshman pinch runner Margo Geary (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North). Geary scooted into second on a wild pitch and took third on a sacrifice bunt, but a fly ball to left halted the rally and left the game-tying run on third.

The Green and White tallied three hits, two of which came from Turner. The senior went 2-for-2 with a HBP, while freshman Hailey Milgazo (Poway, Calif.-Poway) notched IWU's other hit. 

Certa threw 6.1 innings, allowing four hits and striking out three. She was sacked with the loss, moving her record to 19-3, and snapping her 14-game win streak dating back to April 6. Gatchell threw two-thirds of an inning, fanning one. 

Game Two: Saint Benedict 8, Illinois Wesleyan 3
After a quick inning of work in the circle for Gatchell, Illinois Wesleyan jumped on the scoreboard. Sophomore Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) opened with a single before scoring on Wissmiller's RBI knock to give IWU a 1-0 lead into the second.

Saint Benedict put up six runs in the top of the second, using six hits and an error to do so and take a 6-1 advantage. 

IWU played two more in the third to pull within three, 6-3, as Wissmiller proved to be the catalyst of a two-out rally. A single by Khoury followed, putting two on for Turner. The senior took full advantage, smacking a double to center to drive in two. 

The Bennies got two runs right back in the top of the fourth to charge ahead 8-3.

The Titans left bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings before stranding two more in the seventh as IWU saw its season come to a close.

The games marked the final in the careers of Megan Fontanetta, Isabelle Piwowarczyk, Hope Yeoman, Maya Black, Priscilla Peek, and Bailey Turner. The Titans finished the 2024 season with a 31-12 overall record, winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament titles. 

 
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