INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- No. 2-seed Indiana Wesleyan University softball claimed wins in their first two games at the Crossroads League Tournament on Wednesday in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indiana Wesleyan (45-10) opened tournament play with a 12-0 thrashing of No. 7-seed Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) and finished the day with a 5-2 win over No. 6-seed Saint Francis (Ind.). Indiana Wesleyan was the only top seed to win its opening game of the tournament.

Indiana Wesleyan will play No. 5-seed Huntington (Ind.) at 2 p.m. on Thursday. IWU and Huntington are the only two teams without a loss on Wednesday and the winner will advance to the championship game on Friday. The loser will drop to the loser’s bracket.

The Wildcats overwhelmed the Cougars 12-0 in the first game on the strength of a 10 run second inning. That was more than enough for the mercy rule victory as IWU starting pitcher Janessa Guevara (JR/Lathrop, Calif.) was excellent in 5.0 innings. Guevara allowed just three hits and one walk to go with four strikeouts in the shutout effort.

Sara Kreitzer (SO/Ashland, Ohio) and Alex Springer (FR/Fort Wayne, Ind.) were each 3-for-3 on the day while Gabby Bogear (JR/Sacramento, Calif.) finished 2-for-2. Kreitzer and Bogear each hit home runs while Springer contributed a pair of doubles. Bogear stole three bases as the Wildcats had four in all.

Indiana Wesleyan reached the final game of the winner’s bracket with a 5-2 victory over Saint Francis. IWU scored two runs in each of the first two innings and built a 5-0 lead with a run in the seventh inning. A 2-run home run in the seventh inning was all the scoring for Saint Francis.

Haley Nixon (FR/Bristol, Ind.) earned the victory for Indiana Wesleyan with two runs in 7.0 innings. She allowed three hits and one walk and Nixon struck out four USF batters.

Allison Bexell (JR/Avon, Ind.) had a big effort at the plate with a 2-for-4 game. She had a home run and a double while driving home four runs. Emily Hastings (SO/Riverside, Ill.) was the only other Wildcat with multiple hits in the win as she was 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI.

Indiana Wesleyan and Huntington will battle at 2 p.m. tomorrow in the third game of the day. Huntington upset No. 4-seed Grace (Ind.) 8-7 in 9 innings in their first game of the day and then defeated No. 8-seed Bethel (Ind.) 12-0 in 5 innings in their second game on Wednesday.