BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A seven-run sixth inning in game two lifted the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team to a sweep of Carthage College at Inspiration Field Sunday, April 26. The Titans edged out the Firebirds, 1-0, in game one before upending CC, 8-1, in the finale. With the wins, IWU completes College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play with a 15-1 league record, while moving to 25-11 on the season. Carthage settles at 19-17 on the year with an even 8-8 CCIW standing.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 1, Carthage 0
Senior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) retired the Firebirds in order, including registering a pair of early strikeouts, in the top of the first. 

Sophomores Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) and Kelsey Bartels (Downs, Ill.-Tri-Valley) reached with back-to-back infield singles. Senior Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) followed with a grounder to third that was mishandled, allowing IWU to load the bases. Senior Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) put a ball in play to score the game's first run, but Carthage's third baseman snagged a liner and doubled up the Titans to end the threat. 

The score held into the fourth, where Carthage broke through with back-to-back singles. With two in scoring position and one out, Certa buckled down with some help from her defense. Wissmiller gobbled up a grounder at third and threw home on a fielder's choice to keep the lead intact for out number two. Certa escaped the jam with her seventh strikeout of the day, battling back from a 2-0 count to send the Firebird down swinging.

Wissmiller sparked the Green and White in the bottom of the inning, finding grass down the left field line for a single. Beckman dropped a bunt single to put two on with nobody out, but three straight popouts kept IWU from capitalizing. 

Carthage once again threatened in the sixth using a one-out single to put the tying run aboard, but Certa put a stop to that. After winning out in a 10-pitch at bat, Certa fanned her second straight batter to strand one and up her K total to 10.

The Firebirds cranked a leadoff double into the left field corner in the seventh and an infield single put two on with nobody out. Wissmiller hauled in a bunt attempt for out number one. Freshman Isabella Boskey (Huntley, Ill.-Huntley) made a nifty catch in foul territory for the second out, but Carthage tagged up on the play to put the tying run 60 feet away. With a pinch hitter at the plate, Wissmiller snowconed a liner to third to seal the tight win.

Illinois Wesleyan tallied four hits to Carthage's six with each of the Titans' first four hitters notching a knock. Beckman was credited with the game's lone RBI. 

Certa pushed her record to 10-2 in the circle this season and completed an undefeated run through the conference slate for the fourth straight season. The senior tossed a complete game shutout, striking out 10 without issuing a walk. Certa went 1-0 in league play as a freshman, 8-0 as a sophomore, and 6-0 last season before ripping off eight straight this season. 

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 8, Carthage 1
Two hits sandwiched a walk as Carthage loaded the bases with one out to start game two. After Bartels caught a popup at second, the Firebirds roped a single to left. The knock brought home one run, but with Carthage looking for more, sophomore Julia Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) put a throw on the money as senior Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) tagged out the runner to end the inning. 

Bartels plopped an infield single over the head of the third baseman, swiped second, and scooted to third on a groundout, but IWU could not move her any further as the Titans trailed, 1-0, after one inning.

Senior Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) sent the Firebirds down in order in the second to bring the home team back to the plate. Post led off Illinois Wesleyan's half of the inning with a single to left, fighting her way through a lengthy at bat. Sophomore Jillian Bollard (Roselle, Ill.-Saint Viator) bunted freshman pinch-runner Paige Veller (Buffalo Grove, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) over to second with a sacrifice. A second straight bunt pushed Veller to third with two outs but a groundout held the Green and White off the board.

After Gatchell left a leadoff single standing on second, Grace Wilkens bunted her way on base with one away. Bartels put a ball into shallow right, but the second baseman pulled in the catch and doubled the runner up at first to send the game to the fourth. 

Wissmiller pulled a single to the 5-6 hole and Beckman's sacrifice bunt moved her into scoring position. Illinois Wesleyan was once again denied though as back-to-back flyouts to right kept the 1-0 Carthage lead intact into the fifth.

The Firebirds' Clare Rettler reached with an infield single and quickly moved into scoring position as Carthage looked to scrape across a key insurance run. With two outs, the visitors ripped a single to center but Grace Wilkens threw out the runner at home to end the inning.

Julia Wilkens drew a four-pitch walk to start the Titans turn at the plate and promptly stole second and third. Sophomore Riley McDoniel (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) put a fly ball into the bermuda triangle just behind second base, but the Firebirds hauled in the catch for an out. Despite the solid defense snag, Julia Wilkens tagged from third to level the score at one all.

Wissmiller gave the Titans their first lead of the game with one swing of the bat. After fouling off the first pitch, Wissmiller launched her team-leading sixth homerun of the season out over left field. The roundtripper sparked a two-out rally. After Bollard reached with a free pass, sophomore Maddie Pool (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton Warrenville South) drove a pinch-hit single to left. Boskey loaded the bases with a single through the left side to bring another pinch hitter to the plate. Stepping to the dish, sophomore Bella Pinter (La Moille, Ill.-Saint Bede Academy) came through in the clutch with a two-run knock to give the Green and White a three-run cushion. The big frame continued as Bartels and Wissmiller each drove in a pair on singles to open up an 8-1 advantage. 

Junior Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville) closed out the game with a 1-2-3 seventh in relief, highlighted by a strikeout. Gatchell improved to 6-4 in the circle, tossing six innings with seven hits allowed. She struckout one and walked two. 

The Titans finished with 11 hits in the finale, led by Wissmiller's 3-for-4 showing. The senior led the team with three RBIs. Grace Wilkens and Bartels notched two hits apiece.

Illinois Wesleyan wraps up regular season play Thursday, April 30, with a non-conference twin bill at DePauw University. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. in Greencastle, Ind.