BOTETOURT, Va. -- Two losses in extra innings have eliminated Indiana Wesleyan University from the NCCAA Softball National Championship on the first day of competition in Botetourt, Virginia.

Indiana Wesleyan lost their first game 1-0 in the early afternoon to No. 4-seed Judson (Ill.) University. In an elimination game in the evening, Indiana Wesleyan lost another one run outcome in a 3-2 defeat to No. 7-seed Geneva (Pa.) College. Both games went nine innings.

The Wildcats entered play as the No. 5-seed in the 10-team double elimination tournament. IWU ends their season with a record of 28-20.

The opening contest with Judson turned out to be a pitcher’s duel. Neither team could plate a run in seven innings as the first game of the day went to extra innings. Judson finally broke the scoreless draw in the ninth inning. The Eagles produced a double which was followed by a game-winning RBI single to keep Judson in the winner’s bracket.

Indiana Wesleyan struggled offensively in the game. IWU managed just five hits and one walk in the nine inning contest. (More details to follow on the IWU-Judson game).

In the elimination game against Geneva, the Golden Tornados struck first with a run on a squeeze play in the bottom of the second. Katie Smith tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the third. Smith singled to shallow right field to score Gabby McIntire.

Geneva quickly regained the lead in the home half of the third inning. GC scored on a bunt for the second time in the game but this time everybody was safe. The Geneva 2-1 lead would hold until the seventh inning.

With its season on the line the Wildcats came up with the clutch hit. With one out in the seventh, Lauren Benda singled up the middle to put the tying run on base. She would steal second base and advance to third on a groundout. With two outs Sam Hemming stepped to the dish and singled down the right field line for the game-tying hit.

But Geneva scored the game-winning run in the ninth and the run that scored would be unearned. Elyssa Simko reached on an error to lead off the inning and would advance to second on a ground ball. Two more Golden Tornado singles would score Simko for the walk-off victory.

McIntire took the loss in relief as she allowed the single unearned run in 3.1 innings. Tanna Hinthorne started the game and pitched 5.0 solid innings. Hinthorne allowed two runs on four hits with one strikeout.

Smith finished 3-for-4 with an RBI. Hemming and Allison Bexell each had two hits in the loss to Geneva. Hemming produced an RBI while Bexell managed the only extra base hit for Indiana Wesleyan with a double.