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Mallory Holland pitching vs UW-Oshkosh
Donny Cortez
10
Winner Wartburg WARTBURG 15-6
7
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 10-9
Winner
Wartburg WARTBURG
15-6
10
Final
7
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
10-9
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Wartburg WARTBURG 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 10 11 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 0 3 4 0 0 0 7 9 1

W: Lauren Dyer (2-1) L: Gatchell, Caroline (2-3) S: Katelyn Klever (1)

0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 10-10
1
Winner Wis.-Oshkosh UWO 16-4
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
10-10
0
Final
1
Wis.-Oshkosh UWO
16-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1
Wis.-Oshkosh UWO 1 0 0 0 0 0 X 1 4 1

W: Brianna Bougie (3-3) L: Holland, Mallory (3-4)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Spurned on Day Two of Home Tournament

Titans drop two tight contests

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team suffered a pair of defeats on the final day of its home softball tournament Sunday, March 29. IWU (10-10) was upended in a 10-7 loss to Wartburg College before No. 19 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh edged the host, 1-0.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 7, Wartburg 10
Illinois Wesleyan put its first batter aboard as sophomore Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) led off the bottom of the first with a walk, but the home team could not manufacture anything further.

Wartburg came back with a bases-loaded threat in the second with three straight base hits. The Knights appeared primed for runs, but senior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) buckled down in the circle. After a strikeout in an eight-pitch eight bat, Certa got a fly ball to right field. Sophomore Riley McDoniel (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) pulled in the catch and fired home to keep the Wartburg baserunners in place. Certa thwarted the threat fully with a flyout in foul territory hauled in by freshman Isabella Boskey (Huntley, Ill.-Huntley).

With some momentum, IWU went on the attack in the bottom of the frame. Senior Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) singled and was lifted for junior pinch runner Margo Geary (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North). Sophomore Julia Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) pushed a knock down the left field line and slid safely into second with a double. McDoniel followed with a groundball to the right side, but an out call at the plate and flyout kept the game scoreless. 

Certa retired the Knights in order in the third, quickly bringing IWU back to the plate. Grace Wilkens worked a full count for a walk and moved around to third on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. Senior Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) took a four-pitch free pass to put runners on the corners with two outs. Beckman took off for second and Grace Wilkens rushed home as Wartburg sent a throw down to second for the Green and White's first run. Post smacked a single down the right field line, but a diving play by the Wartburg first baseman kept the ball in the infield. Nevertheless, Beckman strutted her speed from second to home on the play to double Illinois Wesleyan's lead, 2-0. Boskey singled and Julia Wilkens walked to pack the bases, where a wild pitch ultimately brought home the third run of the game.

Illinois Wesleyan built on its lead in the fourth, putting up four runs on three hits. Grace Wilkens was beamed with one out and Bartels singled to put speed aboard with nobody out. An error loaded the bases and Beckman drew a walk to bring home a run. Post and sophomore Maddie Pool (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton Warrenville South) tacked on RBI singles, while Boskey drove a run in with a groundout to open up a 7-0 advantage.

Wartburg made a push in the top of the fifth, using six hits and an error to generate 10 runs and pull right back within striking distance. A three-run homer gave the Knights life as senior Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) entered the circle to spell freshman Hannah Burns (Charlestown, Ind.-Charlestown), who had entered in relief. IWU could not slow the WC offense as the inning continued with a barrage of hits to charge ahead, 10-7.

Illinois Wesleyan had its share of opportunities in the closing innings, but could not claw back.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 0, No. 19 UW-Oshkosh 1
A pitcher's duel unfolded in the final game of the weekend, with junior Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville) and UWO's Brianna Bougie. A first inning solo homer proved to be the only run of the game as Oshkosh came away with the one-run victory. 

Holland was strong in the circle, throwing a complete game while only yielding one run on four hits with two strikeouts. The junior turned in a gutsy performance that saw UWO load the bases with one out, but be turned away empty handed. The Shelbyville, Ill. native dialed up a strikeout before getting an inning-ending popout to strand three.

Illinois Wesleyan pieced together a chance in the seventh, kicked off by a single to left from senior Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia). Post singled through the left side to put two on, and freshman Paige Veller (Buffalo Grove, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) swiped second after stepping in as a pinch runner to put the go-ahead run on second. UWO elected to pitch around Boskey, loading the bases. IWU's rally fell short as a 4-6-3 double play ended the game, 1-0.

The Green and White begins College Conference play on the road Wednesday, April 1, at North Central College. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and marks the start of an eight-game road stint for IWU.
 
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