UPLAND, Ind. -- Kristen Exposito hit a pair of home runs -- including a grand slam -- as No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan softball picked up an 11-3 win over No. 2 Taylor (Ind.) in a 5 inning mercy rule. All 11 Wildcat runs came in the 3rd and 4th innings as Indiana Wesleyan and Marian are the final two teams in the double elimination tournament without a loss.

GAME VITALS

• CROSSROADS LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
• Score:  Indiana Wesleyan def. Taylor, 11-3   (5 innings)
• Records:  Indiana Wesleyan 39-11   |   Taylor 36-14 
• NAIA Top- 25 Rank:  Indiana Wesleyan - Receiving votes   |   Taylor - Receiving votes
• Location:   Gudakunst Field   |   Taylor University   |   Upland, Indiana

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Taylor quickly put two runs on the board in the 1st inning for a 2-0 lead.
• Indiana Wesleyan rallied with two outs in the 3rd inning to score five runs. Alex Springer tied it 2-2 with a two-run single up the middle. Kristen Exposito followed with a 2-run home run and Sara Kreitzer made it back-to-back with a home run for the 5-2 lead.
• The Wildcats continued their hot hitting in the fourth inning with six more runs to lead 11-2. Kaisey Carson and Alex Springer each had RBI singles and Exposito capped the big inning with a grand slam.
• Taylor started the 5th inning with four straight singles to cut the lead to 11-3 and needed one more run to avoid the mercy rule. But the next batter hit into a fielder’s choice which got the lead run at home and then a 1-2-3 double play ended the threat and the game.
   

GAME STATS

• Alex Springer:  2-for-3, 3 RBI, 2 R
• Kristen Exposito:  2-for-3, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R
• Sara Kreitzer:  1-for-2, BB, HR,
• Kira Madl:  2-for-2, 2 R
• Kaisey Carson (21-7):  W, 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K;  0-for-2, BB, 2 R
   

NEXT TIME OUT

• Indiana Wesleyan will play top-seed and No. 4-ranked Marian (Ind.) in the next game of the Crossroads League Tournament on Friday. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Indianapolis. There will be no games played on Thursday as a massive weather system will hit the region all day.