SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 16 Indiana Wesleyan softball team needed an extra inning, but the squad bested Taylor University 6-5 in the opening contest of the Crossroads League Tournament Wednesday afternoon.


 

THE ESSENTIALS

 

• Location: Spring Arbor, Mich.
• Records: IWU 38-11 I TU 27-26
• Game Score: IWU def. TU 6-5 (8 innings)  
• NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #16 – TU - Unranked

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

• IWU jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Morgan Yeater singled and moved to second on Sadie Harding's bunt single. After each runner swiped a base, Brylee Bilger ripped a single down the left field line for a 2-0 edge. Arie Hackett entered as a pinch runner and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Becca Wyatt recorded a base hit and went to second on the throw, putting both in scoring position. Kamryn Buck extended the margin to 3-0 on a groundout.
• The designated home team pushed the score to 5-0 with a pair of runs in the second frame. Chloe Tragesser singled to right field and hustled to second on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Harding knocked Tragesser in with a base knock to right field. After Bilger reached on a single to right field, Courtney Thomas drove in Harding for the five-run margin.
• The score remained the same until the top of the seventh. Taylor plated five unearned runs in the team's last at bat of regulation, knotting the contest at 5-5.  
• IWU had a chance to win it in the bottom of the frame, but a force out at home and back-to-back fly balls ended the threat with the bases loaded.  
• In the top of the eighth, the Wildcats retired the side. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Yeater was once again the catalyst IWU needed. She beat out an infield ball for a single and moved to second on an error. Harding recorded a single to the pitcher and Yeater promptly scored on a throwing error for the game-winning run.
• For the game, Harding rattled off four hits in five at bats. She also had one RBI and scored twice. Bilger tallied three hits, including a double, and two RBI. Thomas, Wyatt and Yeater recorded two hits apiece while Yeater scored twice.
• In the circle, Alyssa Wagner tossed 5.1 frames and had a pair of strikeouts. Alayna Thomas had a strikeout in a scoreless inning. Makenna Waddell had a scoreless inning as well. Emma Etter-Cox worked two-thirds of an inning.
• Wagner tied the program record for career wins with 87. She draws even with Abby Foreman, who played from 2009-2012.

NEXT TIME OUT

 

 

• The Wildcats return to action at the Crossroads League Tournament tomorrow when they play No. 8 Marian at 3:00 p.m.
• Live video and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS

 

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