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Softball huddling after a win
© AshtinElder
4
Augustana AUGIE 24-11, 12-3 CCIW
5
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 30-7, 13-0 CCIW
Augustana AUGIE
24-11, 12-3 CCIW
4
Final
5
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
30-7, 13-0 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Augustana AUGIE 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 7 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1 0 2 0 1 1 X 5 9 2

W: Gatchell, Caroline (1-1) L: Koster, Lauren (14-4) S: Holland, Mallory (4)

12
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 31-7, 14-0 CCIW
1
Augustana AUGIE 24-12, 12-4 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
31-7, 14-0 CCIW
12
Final
1
Augustana AUGIE
24-12, 12-4 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 2 2 0 0 8 12 14 0
Augustana AUGIE 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4

W: Hermes, Ella (4-1) L: Hofer, Mikaylin (8-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Secures Outright CCIW Regular Season Championship

Titans to host CCIW Tournament, May 8-11, at Inspiration Field

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 22nd-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University softball team showed immense grit en route to capturing the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Regular Season Championship outright at Inspiration Field Wednesday evening, April 30. The Titans (31-7, 14-0 CCIW) gutted out a 5-4 comeback win over Augustana College in game one to clinch hosting rights for next week's CCIW Tournament before earning a 12-1 run-rule win over the VIkings (24-12, 12-4 CCIW) in game two.

With the wins, Illinois Wesleyan completed an undefeated CCIW season at 14-0. The Titans, who will host the six-team conference tournament May 8-11, are the first since IWU went perfect in league play in 2009.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 5, Augustana 4
The first three batters reached for the Vikings and the cleanup hitter came through with a blast to center field as Augustana grabbed a 4-0 lead before recording an out. Junior Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) entered with runners on first and second and promptly sat the next Viking batter down on strikes. Augie then ran its way out of the inning as junior Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) made a catch in center and caught the runner well off the bag at second to finish off the half inning with a double play.

Illinois Wesleyan got on the board as senior Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) lifted a two-out, solo homer over the fence in right-center to trim the lead to three, 4-1. 

Gatchell came up big in the second, getting a pair of strikeouts and then snatching a rocket back to the circle to send the Titans back to the plate.

Juniors Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) and Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) drew walks in the bottom of the second, putting runners on the corners for freshman Julia Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett). The rookie sliced the first pitch down the left field line, but Augie's Emily Gad made a tremendous diving catch to end the inning and rob Wilkens of extra bases.

Gatchell got some help from her defense in the third as AC had runners on second and third with nobody out. After a K, the fourth of the game for the junior lefty, Post laid out for a catch on a popped up bunt for the inning's second out. Freshman Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) tracked down a ball in right field to finish off the frame for out number three.

Beckman walked with one out and Kuhn dropped a double between the left and center fielders to put two in scoring position for the Green and White in the third. Senior Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) floated a two-run single down the right field line. Khoury's pair of RBIs pulled IWU within one, 4-3.

The Titans leveled the score with a run in the fifth as Beckman led things off with a single. With Beckman standing on second after a stolen base, Kuhn choked up and whacked a single up the middle to knot the game at four all.

Gatchell's 1-2-3 sixth quickly brought Illinois Wesleyan back to the plate, where a two-out error gave IWU life. After Wissmiller reached on an error, Julia Wilkens slapped a single up the middle. Head coach Tiffany Prager opted to enter freshman Maddie Pool (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton Warrenville South) as a pinch hitter with two on and the rookie came through with a clutch RBI single to left. The run-scoring knock gave the home team a 5-4 edge entering the seventh. 

In the seventh, a grounder to third retired Augie's first batter, but a single saw the Titans call in sophomore Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville) from the bullpen. Coming in in a save situation, Holland induced back-to-back groundouts to finish off the comeback victory.

Gatchell threw 6.1 scoreless innings, fanning five and limiting Augie to just four hits. With the win, Gatchell jumped to 1-1 on the season, while Holland picked up her fourth save of the year. 

IWU finished with nine hits to Augie's seven. Kuhn and Julia Wilkens combined for five hits. Kuhn led the way going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Julia Wilkens finished 2-for-3. 

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 12, Augustana 1 (6 inn.)
Trailing 1-0 into the second, Illinois Wesleyan plated two runs in the second. Khoury drew a leadoff walk and later won out in a pickle to get to third as Post safely reached first. Freshman Ella Hermes (Peru, Ill.-Saint Bede Academy) and Wissmiller notched back-to-back RBI singles to capture a 2-1 edge.

Beckman ripped a leadoff single and swiped second to kickstart the Titan offense in the third. Augie's errant throw on the steal allowed Beckman to scoot into third before scoring on a wild pitch. Khoury blooped a single down the right field line and Pinter sent a single up the middle to keep the inning rolling. Post hit a groundball to the right side, allowing Khoury to score and driving the Green and White's lead to 4-1. 

The Titans broke the game open with an eight-run sixth, using nine hits and a pair of Augie miscues to take control 12-1. Freshman Jillian Bollard (Roselle, Ill.-Saint Viator) singled to left and was bunted over to second. After Wissmiller's single put runners on the corners, Pool drove in one. Julia Wilkens singled to load the bases for Beckman, who smoked a single up the middle. Khoury's RBI single opened up a 9-1 lead before RBI knocks from Pinter, Bollard, Hermes, and Wissmiller upped the IWU cushion to 11.

Hermes threw a 1-2-3 bottom half of the inning to close out the perfect league season. She boosted her record to 4-1 on the year, striking out five and allowing just three hits.

The Titan offense cranked out 14 hits with Wissmiller turning in a 3-for-4 showing with two RBIs. Bollard notched the first multi-hit game of her career, going 2-for-2, while Pinter, Beckman, and Khoury added two hits apiece. 

Illinois Wesleyan will now enjoy an extended break before playing host to the six-team CCIW Tournament Thursday-Saturday, May 8-11, at Inspiration Field. More details on the tournament and the bracket will be released at a later date.

 
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