MELBOURNE, Fla. – The No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan University softball team split a pair of games on the final day of the Space Coast Spring Games. The Wildcats lost a hard fought 3-1 game to Trinity Christian College before besting New College of Florida by a 6-2 count in the nightcap.


 

THE ESSENTIALS

 

• Location: Melbourne, Fla.
• Records: IWU 9-3 I TCC 6-11; NCF 2-19
• Game One Score: TCC def. IWU 3-1
• Game Two Score: IWU def. NCF 6-2 
• NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #16 I Trinity Christian – Unranked; New College of Florida - Unranked

 
 

 

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• The designated visitors nearly took a lead in the first inning, but Alyssa Wagner was up for the challenge. The lead-off batter tripled to center field but Wagner recorded a strikeout, a pop-up and another strikeout to end the threat.
• The game was scoreless until Trinity Christian College posted two runs in the fifth. IWU responded with a run in the bottom of the frame.
• Zoe Fountain led off the stanza with a single and moved to third on an error. A sacrifice fly by Leah May allowed Fountain to score.
• Trailing 3-1 in the sixth, Brylee Bilger singled and went to third on the right fielder. Kamryn Buck reached on a fielder's choice but Sara Ruble, who came in as a pinch runner, was out at home. The Wildcats had a runner on first with two out in the seventh but a fly ball ended the inning.
• For the game, Bilger, Buck, Carli Merritt and Fountain all recorded hits. Fountain scored the team's lone run.
• Wagner went the distance, striking out three in the loss.

 

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• IWU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first frame.
• After leading 2-0 through the first two innings, the Wildcats saw their lead cut in half as the designated home team plated a run in the bottom of the third.
• IWU pushed the margin back to two with a run in the top of the fourth. However, New College of Florida made it 3-2 with a run in the fifth.
• The Wildcats broke open the game with a three-run sixth inning – and did not allow another run the rest of the way.
• Buck and Ruble led the way with two hits apiece. Ruble drove in two of the team's six runs. Courtney Thomas scored twice in the victory. Makenna Waddell blasted a triple, while Ella Phillips and Ruble posted doubles.
• Emma Etter-Cox went the distance in the win. She struck out four and gave up just one earned run on six hits.

NEXT TIME OUT

 

 

• The Wildcats return to action Wednesday, March 13, when they begin Crossroads League play on the road against the University of Saint Francis in a doubleheader starting at 3:00 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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