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Isabella Boskey and Claire Post celebrating at home plate
© AshtinElder
0
Millikin MILLIKIN 18-10
5
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 18-11
Millikin MILLIKIN
18-10
0
Final
5
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
18-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Millikin MILLIKIN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4 0 0 0 1 0 X 5 8 0

W: Certa, Gianna (7-2) L: Alyssa Dralle (9-6)

1
Millikin MILLIKIN 18-11, 4-2 CCIW
10
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 19-11, 9-1 CCIW
Millikin MILLIKIN
18-11, 4-2 CCIW
1
Final
10
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
19-11, 9-1 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Millikin MILLIKIN 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 5 3 1 1 X 10 11 0

W: Holland, Mallory (5-4) L: Abby Wilken (5-1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Sweeps Millikin in Key CCIW Doubleheader

Titans move to 9-1 in CCIW play

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team used a flurry of hits to power past Millikin University Thursday, April 16, at Inspiration Field. The Titans grabbed a 5-0 win to start the day before rolling to a 10-1 five-inning victory in game two. IWU soars to 19-11 overall and 9-1 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play, while MU falls to 18-11 and 4-2 in league games.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 5, Millikin 0
A one-out single by sophomore Kelsey Bartels (Downs, Ill.-Tri-Valley) set the table for senior Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia), who clobbered a pitch over the right-center wall for her fourth homerun of the season. Senior Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) kept the hit party rolling with a triple down the right field line and senior Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) followed with an RBI single to right. Leading 3-0, freshman Isabella Boskey (Huntley, Ill.-Huntley) took advantage with runners on and plopped a run-scoring single into shallow center to cap off the four-run, six-hit first inning.

Illinois Wesleyan's four-run cushion held into the fifth, where the Titans tacked on an additional run. Bartels roped a single to left and swiped second. Beckman's bunt resulted in a single and put runners on the corners before a stolen base put two in scoring position for Post. Down in the count, Post drove a pitch into left to score Bartels on a sac fly. 

Senior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) carried a no-hit bid into the sixth. After a groundout for the first out, the Big Blue's leadoff hitter beat out an infield single on the shift for Millikin's first of the day. Certa bounced right back as a first-pitch lineout was snagged by Wissmiller at third to send IWU back to the plate.

The Titans stranded a runner in the sixth before Certa closed out the shutout in the seventh. She moves to 7-2 on the season with her final stat line of two hits, four strikeouts, and a walk over a full seven innings. 

Offensively, Illinois Wesleyan collected eight hits spread across six Titans. Bartels and Beckman each went 2-for-3 in the contest. 

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 10, Millikin 1 (5 inn.)
Millikin's starter did not last long in game two as a pair of walks alongside four hits gave IWU an early advantage. Sophomore Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) singled, was bunted to second, and stole third. Wissmiller drew a five-pitch walk and scooted into second with a steal as Beckman stepped to the plate. The senior came through, driving a single through the right side to bring home two. Back-to-back steals by Beckman and a walk by Post put a pair in scoring position for sophomore Bella Pinter (La Moille, Ill.-Saint Bede Academy). Ahead in the count, Pinter placed a squeeze out in front of the plate. The Big Blue attempted to get Beckman at the plate, but the senior speedster slid home safely. Boskey capped off the scoring with a bases-clearing double to the wall in left-center. The two-bagger extended IWU's lead to 5-0 after just one inning.

Junior Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville) waltzed into trouble in the next inning as a single was sandwiched between two hit by pitches to load the bases for MU with nobody out. The defense stepped up to keep the Big Blue off the board. Wissmiller gobbled a grounder at third and fired home for out number one. Bartels scooped up a ball at second and made a strong throw home for the second out. A slow dribbler down the third-base line seemed like trouble, but Wissmiller scooped and flipped to home to end the threat.

The Green and White pounced for three more runs, this time utilizing four hits and two walks to manufacture an 8-0 lead. Wissmiller doubled and Beckman walked to put two on for Post, who cranked a pitch off the top of the centerfield wall. The ball bounced back in as Post came away with a lengthy single to load the bases with one out. A two-run double off the bat of Pinter and a RBI single from sophomore Julia Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) extended the Titans lead into the third.

Millikin broke the shutout with a run in the third, but Holland once again buckled down to limit the Big Blue to one. Holland bounced back from a run-scoring double with a strikeout for the second out. She escaped the jam on a grounder to the circle that she fielded and tossed to first to send the home team back to plate in front, 8-1.

Illinois Wesleyan got a run back in the bottom of the frame as Bartels and Wissmiller led off with back-to-back singles. IWU ultimately brought Bartels across the plate on a first-and-third. With Wissmiller taking off for second, MU threw down with an attempt at some trickery, but Bartels was unfazed and bolted home to make it 9-1.

Senior Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) took the circle in the fourth, relieving Holland, and IWU plated one more run to polish off the run-rule victory.

Holland came away with the win, moving to 5-4 on the year. She allowed one run on two hits alongside four strikeouts. Gatchell was great in relief, tossing the final two frames with just one hit and three punchouts.

The Green and White tallied 11 hits to Millikin's three as Wissmiller and sophomore Riley McDoniel (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) notched two apiece. Pinter finished with a team-high three RBIs, while Beckman and Boskey added two each.

Illinois Wesleyan is back in action with its final roadtrip of the CCIW season Saturday, April 18, as the Titans travel to Elmhurst University. First pitch between IWU and EU is slated for 1 p.m. at Salt Creek Park.

 
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