MARION, Ind. -- Indiana Wesleyan University softball and Huntington (Ind.) opened Crossroads League play today at Wildcat Field and both teams left with a victory.

Huntington pulled away with an 8-1 win in the first game while Indiana Wesleyan was forced to hold on for an 8-7 game two victory. Both teams are 1-1 in the league play.

In the opener, Indiana Wesleyan scored first with a run in the second inning. Amanda Brunner (SO/Miamisburg, OH) drew a two out walk and scored on a Gabby McIntire (SR/Logansport, IN) double for the 1-0 lead. That lead would hold until the fourth inning.

Huntington scored six runs in the fourth inning on seven hits to chase McIntire from the game. Jessica Hull (SR/South Bend, IN) would not fare any better as HU led 6-1. Huntington scored two more times in the seventh inning for the 8-1 victory.

McIntire was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI while Gabby Bogear (SO/Sacramento, CA) was 2-for-3. McIntire took the loss with three runs on five hits in 3.2 innings pitched.

The Wildcats got off to a hot start to open game two with seven runs in the first three innings. Marissa French (SR/Crawfordsville, IN) drilled a 2-run double in the first inning while McIntire lofted a sac fly and Emily Sell (SR/Clinton, MI) crushed a 2-run home run in the second inning. Gabby Bogear hit an RBI single and Allison Bexell (SO/Avon, IN) drilled an RBI double in the third inning to put the Wildcats up 7-1.

A Bogear two-out RBI single to put Indiana Wesleyan ahead 8-1 in the fifth inning did not seem critical at the time, but by the end of the night it was a huge insurance run.

That’s because Huntington scored four runs in the sixth inning to trim the deficit to 8-5 and left two runners in scoring position. Then in the seventh inning, Huntington scored twice more to trail just 8-7. After scoring the two runs with two outs, HU had the tying run on third base and the go-ahead run on second base. Janessa Guevara (SO/Lathrop, CA) induced a weak pop up in the infield that she caught to end the game for the 8-7 IWU win.

Guevara earned the complete game win with 7 run on 11 hits in 7.0 innings of work. She walked one and struck out seven Foresters. Sell, Hull, Bogear, Bexell, and Meredith Scholle (SO/Ada, MI) each contributed two hits as Indiana Wesleyan outhit Huntington 13-11.

Indiana Wesleyan will travel to Upland, Indiana tomorrow for a doubleheader with Taylor (Ind.). First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.