INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University softball earned a 9-1 mercy rule victory over No. 8-seed Saint Francis (Ind.) and advances to the third and final day of the Crossroads League Tournament held at Marian. Indiana Wesleyan will need to win three games on Saturday to win the league championship and earn an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.

Game Vitals

• Tournament:  Crossroads League Tournament
• Score:  Indiana Wesleyan - 9   |   Saint Francis - 1   (6 innings)
• Records:  Indiana Wesleyan 41-15   (No. 3-seed)   |   Saint Francis 22-27   (No. 8-seed)
• NAIA Top- 25 Rank:  Indiana Wesleyan - Receiving votes   |   Saint Francis - Not ranked
• Location:   Knights Field   |   Marian University   |   Indianapolis, Indiana 

What Went Down

• Indiana Wesleyan jumped all over Saint Francis with a six run first inning. IWU plated the six runs on eight hits as 11 Wildcats came to bat.
• The first five Wildcats had hits in the inning as Kelsey Meyers (SR/Brea, Calif.) hit a two-run doubles and Sara Kreitzer (JR/Ashland, Ohio) had an RBI single.
• Indiana Wesleyan built a 7-1 lead after the 4th inning as Allison Bexell (SR/Avon, Ind.) scored on a USF error off the bat of Gabby Bogear (SR/Sacramento, Calif.).
• In the 6th inning, Kelsey Meyers had an RBI single while Jenny Sharpe (SR/Dayton, Ohio) drew a bases loaded walk for the 9-1 lead to end the game.
• Kelsey Meyers was 3-for-4 with three RBI.
• Kaisey Carson (JR/Avon, IN) and Kelsey Kooistra (SO/Grand Rapids, Mich.) each earned three hits. Alex Springer (SO/Fort Wayne, Ind.) was 2-for-4 while Sara Kreitzer was 1-for-2 with a walk.
• Kaisey Carson was the winning pitcher with a complete game effort. She gave up one run on seven hits in 6.0 innings.
  
   

Next Time Out

• The victory moves Indiana Wesleyan to the final day of the Crossroads League Tournament as three teams remain. Indiana Wesleyan opens Saturday with a 1 p.m. game against No. 1 Marian (Ind.) in an elimination game. He winner moves to the championship at 3 p.m. and will need to win two games vs. No. 2 Huntington (Ind.).