MARION, Ind. – The No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan softball team split a doubleheader with Huntington University Monday afternoon. The Wildcats lost a hard-fought 8-7 contest in the opener. In the nightcap, IWU erased a four-run deficit and recorded the victory on a bunt single in the eighth inning.



 

THE ESSENTIALS

 

• Location: Marion, Ind.
• Records: IWU 28-6, 19-3 I HU 14-20, 6-14
• Game One Score: HU def. IWU 8-7 
• Game Two Score: IWU def. HU 5-4 (8 innings)  
• NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #16 – HU - Unranked

 

 

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• IWU got on the board in the first. Morgan Yeater led off the frame with an infield single and stole second. After hustling to third on Ella Phillips' base hit, Phillips stole second and Brylee Bilger drew a walk to load the bases. Two batters later, Abby Harvey's groundout allowed Yeater to score for a 1-0 lead. 
• Tied at 1-1 in the third, Kamryn Buck blasted a two-run home run, plating Phillips.
• In the third frame, Zoe Fountain walked and stole second and third before scoring on a Chloe Tragesser's base hit. Arie Hackett came in as a pinch runner and moved to third after a steal and bunt from Yeater. With runners on second and third, Phillips ripped a double down the left field line for a 6-3 edge. Brylee Bilger's single up the middle knocked in Leah May, who entered as a pinch runner for Phillips.
• Huntington scored three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth for an 8-7 advantage – and the visitors would hold onto it for the narrow victory.
• IWU had four student-athletes registered multiple hits. Buck, Phillips, Becca Wyatt and Yeater had two hits each. Buck launched a home run while Phillips and Wyatt notched doubles. Buck and Phillips had two RBI each while Yeater scored twice.
• Alyssa Wagner tossed a complete game. She gave up eight runs, but only five were earned, on nine hits. Wagner had three strikeouts.

 

 

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• Huntington scored two runs in the first and two in the fourth for a 4-0 lead.
• IWU battled back, tying the game in the bottom of the fifth frame. Wyatt singled through the left side and moved to second on a walk to Sara Ruble. Tragesser laid down a sacrifice bunt, putting two runners in scoring position. Yeater's groundout allowed Wyatt to score. Phillips belted a single up the middle, scoring Ruble. Bilger knotted the score at 4-4 with a two-run shot.
• Neither team could push across another run and after the Wildcats left a runner stranded in the seventh, the squads turned to the eighth frame.
• After Makenna Waddell shut down the visitors again in the eighth, IWU went to work. With one down, Chloe Poe laced a triple down the line, sliding in just ahead of the tag. Zoe Fountain came in as a pinch runner and on the second pitch, Buck laid down a perfectly placed bunt toward first base. Despite a solid effort, Fountain slid home safely for the game-winning run.
• IWU was led by Buck's two hits, including a double and bunt single. Bilger launched a two-run home run while Poe tripled.
• Alayna Thomas got the starting nod and went four innings. She gave up four runs, but only two were earned, on four hits. Thomas struck out one. Waddell worked four scoreless frames to pick up the victory. She gave up just two hits in the outstanding outing.

 

NEXT TIME OUT

 

 

• The Wildcats return to action tomorrow when they host the University of Saint Francis for a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m.
• Live video and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.

 

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS

 

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