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BLOOMINGTON, Illinois - Illinois Wesleyan swept Calvin in a non-conference doubleheader, including a walk-off win in the second game at Inspiration Field on March 27, 2026. (Photo by Jimmy Naprstek/Kodiak Creative)
Jimmy Naprstek/Kodiak Creative
10
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 13-10
3
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON 11-7
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
13-10
10
Final
3
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON
11-7
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 1 0 2 1 3 3 10 12 2
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 4 5

W: Gatchell, Caroline (3-3) L: Shylah Dozeman (4-5)

8
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 14-10
0
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON 11-9
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
14-10
8
Final
0
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON
11-9
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 2 0 6 0 8 9 0
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Wins Two at Wheaton

Titans off to 4-0 start to CCIW play

WHEATON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team soared to a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin sweep at Wheaton College Friday, April 3. The Titans (14-10, 4-0 CCIW) came alive late to take down the Thunder (11-9) 10-3 in game one before scoring an 8-0 five-inning win in the nightcap at Ruth Leedy Field.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 10, Wheaton 3
Freshman Isabella Boskey (Huntley, Ill.-Huntley) broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the second and the Titans tacked on two more in the fourth. Sophomore Grace Wilkens' (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) bunt single was followed by an error that put sophomore Kelsey Bartels (Downs, Ill.-Tri-Valley) on second and Grace Wilkens on third. Senior Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) walked to load the bases and classmate Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) drove the first pitch she saw off the pitcher's shin for an RBI single. A fielder's choice paired with another error brought in another run as IWU led 3-0 at the midpoint.

The Titans lead evaporated as the Thunder used two home runs to produce three runs and knot the score at three all. Senior Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic) buckled down with three straight outs, including an inning-ending strikeout to send action to the fifth. 

This time, IWU capitalized on a leadoff single through the left side by sophomore Julia Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett). The sophomore outfielder scooted into second on a sacrifice bunt before her sister brought her home. Grace Wilkens smashed a single deep to the right side of the infield to bring home Julia Wilkens from second and reclaim the lead, 4-3. 

Junior Mallory Holland (Shelbyville, Ill.-Shelbyville) took the circle in relief and worked her way around a one-out walk. Holland induced a rare 5-3-5 double play to maintain the score into the sixth. 

Illinois Wesleyan went for three runs in each of the next two innings to put the game out of reach. Wismmiler led off with a double to left-center and scored on Post's two-bagger to right-center. Playing in her hometown, sophomore Maddie Pool (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton Warrenville South) poked a run-scoring single through the left side to double up WC, 6-3. Freshman Olivia Sutton (Elgin, Ill.-Burlington Central), who entered as a pinch runner, stole second before walks to Julia Wilkens and Boskey packed the bags. Sophomore Jillian Bollard (Roselle, Ill.-Saint Viator) dialed up a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to bring home Sutton and up the lead to four, 7-3.

After senior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) stranded two in the bottom of the sixth, IWU used RBIs from Wissmiller and Sutton as well as an error to push its lead to 10-3. Certa tossed a 1-2-3 seventh, to put a bow on the CCIW triumph. 

Illinois Wesleyan finished the game with 12 hits to Wheaton's four, while the Thunder committed five errors to two by the Titans. Post headlined the offense with a 3-for-4 showing, while Wissmiller and Grace Wilkens tallied two hits apiece. Eight different Titans were credited with RBIs.

In the circle, Gatchell was the pitcher of record as she bumped her ledger to 3-3. She went four innings with four strikeouts with three runs allowed on four hits. Holland and Certa combined to throw three hitless, with Certa fanning two.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 8, Wheaton 0 (5 inn.)
Boskey once again sparked the scoring in game two. With runners on the corners after a pair of singles, Boskey laced a double to the left-center fence to propel IWU to a 2-0 edge in the second. 

A two-out walk and a single gave Wheaton a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the frame, but Certa induced a groundout to keep the score intact into the third.

The Green and White ballooned its lead in the fourth as walks to Julia Wilkens and Boskey put two on with nobody out for sophomore Riley McDoniel (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg). Down in the count, 0-2, McDoniel drove a two-run single through the right side. She swiped second and slid into third on a wild pitch ahead of a beautifully placed squeeze bunt from Bartels. Post brought home Bartels on an RBI single and Wheaton opted for a pitching change shortly thereafter. 

The swap in the circle did little to slow the Titans as Bollard walked on four straight balls to load the bases with two outs for Julia Wilkens. With the infield playing back, Wilkens blooped a double into left to bring two more runs across and bolster IWU's lead to 8-0 into the fourth.

Certa tossed a complete five-inning game in the circle, using a 4-6-3 double play to secure the game two victory. The senior hurler worked around nine hits while walking one. She notched one strikeout en route to improving her record to 5-4 on the year.

The Green and White recorded nine hits, with three multi-hit performances. The bottom of the order was especially impressive, as the 7-8-9 hitters combined to go 4-for-6 with six RBIs, three walks, and five stolen bases. 

The Titans take a break from CCIW play with a non-conference doubleheader at Lake Forest College Tuesday, April 7. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

 
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