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Anna Beckman, Casey Wissmiller, & Claire Post celebrate an out
© AshtinElder
8
Winner Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES
3
Wartburg WARTBURG
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES
8
Final
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Wartburg WARTBURG
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 2 0 2 0 0 0 4 8 14 1
Wartburg WARTBURG 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 1

W: Certa, Gianna (13-2) L: Katelyn Klever (12-5)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Rallies Past No. 23 Wartburg in NCAA Tournament Opener

Titans to face No. 2 Redlands Friday, May 15, at 11 a.m.

Postgame Press Conference

WAVERLY, Iowa - A complete game from senior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) and 14 hits from the offense powered the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team past No. 23 Wartburg College, 8-3, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday, May 14. The Titans (29-13) knocked off the host Knights (31-11) to advance to tomorrow's 11 a.m. game against No. 2 University of Redlands.

Certa was masterful in the circle, weathering a shaky first inning before limiting the Knights to three hits over the next six innings. The senior went the full seven innings, yielding three runs on five hits, while striking out five and walking one. The win boosted her record to 13-2 on the year.

Offensively, senior Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) and Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) combined for six of Illinois Wesleyan's 14 hits. Post collected four hits in four at-bats with three RBIs, while Beckman notched a 2-for-3 showing with a pair of doubles. Sophomores Kelsey Bartels (Downs, Ill.-Tri-Valley) and Riley McDoniel (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) also registered multiple hits, going 2-for-4. 

Bartels reached with a single with one out in Illinois Wesleyan's first trip to the plate. In a great display of game IQ, Bartels took an aggressive lead off first to draw a throw behind her before sliding in with a stolen base at second. Back-to-back two-out knocks by Beckman and Post pushed the Titans ahead 2-0 after just half an inning.

A pair of sun balls alongside an error prolonged Wartburg's half of the inning as the Knights wiped away IWU's advantage with three runs of their own.

The home team's one-run lead did not last long, as the Green and White flipped the script with a two-run third. Beckman started a two-out rally with a double to the right-center gap and scored on a two-bagger by Post. Bollard laced a single to right-center with Post running on contact for a 4-3 lead. 

Certa retired the next nine batters she faced to send the game to the seventh, where IWU gave its senior righty a wealth of insurance runs. With a significant shift in place, Bartels reached with a good-luck popup triple into right to lead off the inning. Senior Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) cashed in on the RBI opportunity, roping a single to bring home Bartels. Post delivered with another run-scoring double and sophomore Jillian Bollard (Roselle, Ill.-Saint Viator) walked to extend the inning. Entering as a pinch runner, freshman Paige Veller (Buffalo Grove, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) stepped in and swiped second to put two in scoring position as sophomore Bella Pinter (LaMoille, Ill.-Saint Bede Academy) stepped to the plate. After Pinter reached on an error, freshman Isabella Boskey (Huntley, Ill.-Huntley) pushed a two-run single to center to move IWU in front by five, 8-3. 

The Knights notched a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh, but Certa induced a game-ending groundout as Wissmiller fired to Boskey at first to put a bow on the win.

With the victory, Illinois Wesleyan advances in the winner's bracket to face No. 2 Redlands tomorrow, May 15. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Lynes Field. 


 

 
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