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Softball Eyes Midweek Clash with Cardinals

First pitch set for 3 p.m.

4/22/2025 11:00:00 AM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A six-game homestand comes to a close Wednesday, April 23, as the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team hosts North Central College for a league doubleheader. First pitch between the two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foes is set for 3 p.m. at Inspiration Field.

The Titans stand at 23-7 overall and 8-0 in CCIW play ahead of Wednesday's matchup with North Central. IWU most recently swept league doubleheaders against Millikin, Wheaton, and Elmhurst, April 15-19. NCC brings an even record of 15-15 into town and looks to better its 4-6 CCIW mark. The Cardinals have dropped four straight, most recently both ends of a twin bill against Augustana, April 19. North Central will play host to Carroll today, April 22, prior to making the trip to Bloomington.

Illinois Wesleyan's high-powered offense has seen six Titans compile batting averages over .300. Senior Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High), who tied the career doubles record over the weekend, paces the Green and White with a .476 batting average. She tops the team in hits (50), RBIs (39), slugging percentage (.733), and on-base percentage (.487). Junior Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) has cranked a team-best six homers on the year and is tied for third on the team with 21 RBIs alongside her .382 average. Senior Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) stands second on the squad with 30 RBIs and has a .370 batting average with a team-high 13 doubles. Freshmen Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) and Bella Pinter (LaMoille, Ill.-Saint Bede Academy), along with junior Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara), round out the top six with marks of .358, .345, and .330, respectively. Beckman leads the team with 28 runs scored and 13 stolen bases.

Junior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) and sophomore Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville) have led a deep Titan pitching staff. Certa is 11-2 on the year with a 2.02 earned run average compiled over a team-best 79.2 innings of work. She leads the Titans with 55 strikeouts and has also posted three saves on the year. Holland, the reigning CCIW Pitcher of the Week, is the team-leader with a 1.74 ERA and is limiting opponents to a .164 batting average over 44.1 innings pitched. Holland holds a 4-1 record.

Illinois Wesleyan and North Central share a lengthy history, having met 77 times since the series began in 1997. IWU leads the all-time tally, 44-33, but the two have split the last four meetings. The Titans took the first game of a doubleheader April 19, 2024 by a 2-0 score, but the Cardinals clawed back with a 4-0 win in game two to split the set.

Wednesday's games will serve as IWU's Athlete Ally Pride games. Links to the live stream and live stats for each of the games can be found on the softball schedule page of iwusports.com.

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