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Casey Wissmiller running towards home after a HR
Audrey Peterson
1
Monmouth (Ill.) MONMOUTH
2
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU
Monmouth (Ill.) MONMOUTH
1
Final
2
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Monmouth (Ill.) MONMOUTH 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 0 0 0 0 X 2 4 1

W: Gatchell, Caroline (1-1) L: Alyssa Hefflefinger (1-4) S: Certa, Gianna (1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Sweeps Scots

Titans improve to 7-7

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team took both ends of a doubleheader with Monmouth College Wednesday, March 25, at Inspiration Field. The Titans (7-7) escaped with a 2-1 victory in game one before overpowering the Scots (3-13), 8-1, in the nightcap.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 2, Monmouth 1
Set up by a five-pitch walk from sophomore Riley McDoniel (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg), the Titans pounced for two runs in the first inning. With McDoniel on second, senior Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) drove a high-flying ball over the big green wall in center for a two-run homer, her first of the season. 

Senior Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) capped off a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout in the second before sending the Scots down in order in the third. 

After a web gem by McDoniel in left, junior Annika Brown (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) smoked a leadoff single off the center-field wall in the fifth. Sophomore Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) bunted her into scoring position, but the junior was stranded on third as back-to-back groundouts to first sent the game to the sixth.

Gatchell carried the no-hit bid into the sixth, where Monmouth managed to break things up. The Scots capitalized on an error to score their first run of the game. With the leadoff aboard after the miscue, a walk ended Gatchell's day as senior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) took the circle. A sacrifice bunt scooted two into scoring position before the Scots used a single to left to cut IWU's lead in half, 2-1. Certa held Monmouth off from there with a pair of plays on the left side of the infield to send the Titans back to the plate.

Wissmiller walked to get the bottom half of the inning off on the right foot, but Illinois Wesleyan was unable to capitalize as the game remained tight into the seventh.

Certa needed just nine pitches to secure the one-run win and her first save of the season, retiring the Scots in order. 

IWU outhit MC 4-1 in the contest, with Wissmiller's 1-for-2 showing leading the way. 

Gatchell was outstanding in the circle en route to earning her first win of the season. The senior lefty went 5+ innings, striking out four. She was tagged for one run on no hits and two free passes. Certa snagged a save with two strong innings out of the pen. She allowed one hit, retiring six of seven batters faced.

Game Two:  Illinois Wesleyan 8 , Monmouth 1
Illinois Wesleyan erupted for five runs on six hits in the second, giving freshman Hannah Burns (Charlestown, Ind.-Charlestown) early run support. Senior Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) led things off with a two-bagger to right-center and eventually scored on a grounder from freshman Isabella Boskey (Huntley, Ill.-Huntley). Sophomore Ella Hermes (Peru, Ill.- St. Bede Academy) singled to put two on with one out and sophomore Jillian Bollard (Roselle, Ill.-Saint Viator) followed with a bases-clearing double to left-center. The two-run knock lifted IWU to a 3-0 edge. Grace Wilkens and Wissmiller kept the run going with run-scoring hits as the lead grew to five.

Returning to the circle with a 5-0 cushion, Burns made quick work of the Scots to bring the Titans right back to the dish.

McDoniel walked to leadoff the third and Boskey singled to put the first two batters aboard. Boskey beat out a bunt single and McDoniel took an aggressive turn on second to put runners on the corners. After Boskey swiped second on a delayed swing, Hermes drove in a run with a grounder to the right side. A passed ball brought home Boskey to extend the lead to 7-0.

Illinois Wesleyan appeared poised for more in the fourth as Grace Wilkens singled and promptly stole second. She crossed home for the Green and White's eighth run of the day on a rocket single off the Monmouth pitcher.

The Scots launched a solo homer with one away in the top of the fifth to extend the game with an 8-1 score. Certa was inserted to the circle for the final two frames, allowing just a hit, striking out one. 

IWU finished the game with 11 hits, tying a season-high, while MC notched six. Grace Wilkens went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and another driven in, while Wissmiller tallied a 2-for-4 showing that included two RBIs.

Burns went a career-high five innings in her first career start. She yielded just one run on five hits alongside two strikeouts. Certa threw the final two frames, allowing one hit with a K.

The Green and White is back in action this weekend, Friday-Sunday, March 27-29, as it hosts the IWU softball tournament. The Titans will play a doubleheader against Calvin University to kick off the four team tournament, Friday, March 27 beginning at 3 p.m.


 
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