FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan softball team opened up Crossroads League play with a pair of victories Wednesday at the University of Saint Francis. Game scores were 12-8 and 5-2 in favor of the Wildcats.


 

THE ESSENTIALS

 

• Location: Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Records: IWU 11-3 I USF 7-8
• Game One Score: IWU def. USF 12-8 
• Game Two Score: IWU def. USF 5-2
• NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #16 I USF - Unranked

 
 

 

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• A six-run first inning broke the game open for the Wildcats. Up 1-0, Makenna Waddell singled in Sadie Harding. Abby Harvey roped a base hit through the left side, driving in Brylee Bilger. Moments later, a Courtney Thomas groundout plated Waddell. Chloe Tragesser and Morgan Yeater each had RBI's to close out the scoring in the frame.
• Up 6-2 in the third, another Tragesser base knock drove in Zoe Fountain for a five-run margin.
• In the fourth, Fountain drove in Kamryn Buck before Tragesser's sacrifice fly drove in Arie Hackett. 
• The Wildcats pushed the margin to 10-2 with a Bilger solo homer in the fifth frame. USF plated three runs to pull within two at 10-8 heading into the seventh. 
• Harding singled with one away in the seventh before Bilger blasted a two-run round-tripper for a 12-8 margin. The IWU defense stepped up and helped the Wildcats put away USF in the seventh for the four-run victory.
• For the game, Bilger led the way with two hits, three RBI and three runs scored. Buck tallied three hits and scored once. Fountain had a pair of hits, one RBI and crossed home once.
• Alyssa Wagner worked five innings and had six strikeouts in the victory. Alayna Thomas tossed two frames and had a strikeout in relief work.

 

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Wildcats went to work. Harvey started the stanza off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Leah May tripled her home. A sacrifice fly from Becca Wyatt gave the visitors a 2-1 lead.
• Fountain doubled and swiped third before scoring on Tragesser's base hit. Morgan Yeater tripled, driving in Tragesser. After a pitching change, Harding's groundout allowed Yeater to score for a 5-1 advantage.
• The home team scored a run in the sixth, but Emma Etter-Cox did not let them back in the ballgame.
• Bilger and Yeater led the way with two hits apiece as seven Wildcats garnered base hits – and three registered triples.
• In the circle, Etter-Cox tossed a complete game. She registered four strikeouts in the victory.

NEXT TIME OUT

 

 

• The Wildcats return to action Friday, March 15, when they play at Grace College for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. 
• Live video and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS

 

• Follow Athletics (@IWUWildcats): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
• Follow Softball (@IndWesSoftball): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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