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Softball wins 2025 NCAA Bloomington Regional May 17, 2025
Kodiak Creative
3
Bethany Lutheran BLC 30-15
5
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 37-7
Bethany Lutheran BLC
30-15
3
Final
5
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
37-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Bethany Lutheran BLC 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 6 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 1 0 2 0 X 5 7 0

W: Certa, Gianna (19-2) L: Meyer (23-12) S: Holland, Mallory (7)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Bests BLC, Wins Bloomington Regional

Titans advance to Super Regional for first time since 2019

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 20th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University softball team defeated Bethany Lutheran College, 5-3, in the Bloomington, Ill. regional Saturday, May 17, at Inspiration Field to move onto the NCAA Division III Super Regional for the first time since 2019. IWU's (37-7) season will continue against the winner of the McMinnville regional Thursday-Friday, May 22-23. More details will be posted to iwusports.com once they are made available. Bethany Lutheran's season comes to an end at 30-15.

Illinois Wesleyan put five on the regional's all-tournament team, with senior Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) garnering the Most Outstanding Player award. Khoury was joined by juniors Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia), Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West), and Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) along with freshman Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett).

Junior Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) drew a walk with one away and scooted into second with a steal. Stepping to the dish with two outs and a runner in scoring position, Khoury took full advantage. The program's career record holder whacked a no-doubter to left-center for a 2-0 Titan advantage through just one inning. 

Bethany Lutheran used a walk to manufacture a run of its own in the top of the third. After swiping second, the Vikings delivered a run-scoring single to left to cut IWU's lead in half, 2-1.

The Green and White got the run back in the bottom half of the inning as freshman Grace Wilkens led things off with a single and swiped second. Beckman reached on an error, putting two in scoring position. Khoury was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Wissmiller came through with a sac fly to reclaim a two-run cushion, 3-1. 

Grace Wilkens once again sparked the Titans with a leadoff single in the fifth and Beckman followed with a single up the middle. Senior Jen Kuhn's (Normal, Ill.-University High) sacrifice bunt pushed two into scoring position for Khoury with two outs and the senior took full advantage once again. Khoury drove a two-run single to left to extend Illinois Wesleyan's lead, 5-1. 

A two-run homer by Bethany Lutheran trimmed the Titan lead to two, 5-3, and saw Certa's day come to a close. Sophomore Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville) threw the final 1.1 innings and did not allow a hit to close out the win.

Certa jumped to 19-2 on the season with a 5.2 inning effort. The junior struckout five, walked one, and scattered six hits. Holland notched her seventh save of the year and allowed just one baserunner during her appearance.

Offensively, Khoury captained an IWU offense that tallied seven hits as she went 2-for-2 with four RBIs, a run scored, and a homer. Grace Wilkens added a 2-for-4 showing and crossed home plate twice, while three other Titans registered hits. 

Illinois Wesleyan now looks ahead to Super Regional play in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament, scheduled for Thursday-Friday, May 22-23. 

 
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