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Titans celebrating a big strikeout by Certa
Kodiak Creative
5
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 27-13
0
Augustana (Ill.) AUGIE 28-15
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
27-13
5
Final
0
Augustana (Ill.) AUGIE
28-15
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 5 8 0
Augustana (Ill.) AUGIE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0

W: Certa, Gianna (12-3) L: Addie Garr (7-11)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Soars into CCIW Championship Saturday

Titans to play for league title at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team advanced in the winners bracket of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Friday, May 8, with a 5-0 shutout of third-seeded Augustana College. The Titans advance to their ninth straight CCIW Tournament title game and will face either Augie or North Central College Saturday, May 9, at 11 a.m. IWU will need to win one to win the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while its opponent will need to win twice.

Sophomore Grace Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) wiped away a two-out single in the bottom of the first with a stellar defensive play. Barehanding a single off the green wall, the centerfielder fired a throw from deep right center to get the runner at the plate by a mile.

Walks to senior Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) and sophomore Julia Wilkens (Bartlett, Ill.-Bartlett) sandwiched a sacrifice bunt by Bollard, but the Titans were picked off on a delayed double steal attempt

A bunt single by sophomore Riley McDoniel (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) started off the third. She was later tagged out in a rundown, but sophomore Kelsey Bartels (Downs, Ill.-Tri-Valley) scooted into third on the same play. With a runner on third and two away, senior Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) tattooed a 2-2 pitch off the IW on the right side of center for a one-run double. 

Augustana came right back with action after a pair of popups quickly retired the first two batters. A double to right-center was followed by a single and a walk to load the bases for Augie's cleanup hitter, but senior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) dialed up a strikeout to escape the inning.

The Vikings threatened again one inning later behind back-to-back one-out knocks, but once again Certa was up for the challenge. After Julia Wilkens hauled in a catch in foul territory for out number two, McDoniel tracked down a sinking foul fly out near the visitors bullpen to keep IWU's 1-0 lead into the fifth.

Illinois Wesleyan's offense broke loose in the fifth, plating four runs on four hits. McDoniel led off with a single and was bunted to second. Bartels singled, but was called out of the box, wiping the hit off the board and dwindling the count. With another opportunity at the plate, Bartels knocked a single to center to drive home McDoniel. Senior Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) powered a triple over the Augie right fielder's head, scoring Bartels from second. Post capped off the inning with a towering homerun to center to propel IWU ahead, 5-0, after four and a half innings of action.

Certa worked around a total of three baserunners over the next three innings en route to her seventh shutout of the season. The Third Lake, Ill. native's final line saw her scatter seven hits over seven innings with no runs and four strikeouts. The win ran her record to 12-3 on the year. 

Offensively, IWU edged out Augie in hits, 8-7. McDoniel went 3-for-3 in the nine-spot, while Bartels registered a 2-for-4 showing. Post went 1-for-1 with a roundtripper, three RBIs, and two walks. 

The Green and White will look to lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament tomorrow, May 9. Illinois Wesleyan will face third-seeded Augie or fourth-seeded North Central College at 11 a.m. at Inspiration Field, needing one win to claim the CCIW Tournament Championship. 


 
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