ROSEMONT, Ill. – No. 20 Indiana Wesleyan Softball began the 2026 season with two games at the NAIA Leadoff games in Rosemont, Illinois on Friday. The Wildcats faced off against the Saints of Aquinas College and the fellow Wildcats of Culver-Stockton College.
IWU took game 1 against Aquinas with a decisive 5-0 victory. In the second inning, the red and grey got on the board with a single up the middle by
Aliya Bilger, her first career hit, driving in
Leah May for the first run of the season. The Wildcats added 3 more in the 3rd inning and another in the 5th.
Isabelle Beidelschies delivered a dominant performance for Indiana Wesleyan, pitching a complete game shutout over seven innings. Beidelschies allowed just five hits and one walk while striking out six batters.
In game 2, IWU fell 2-1 to Culver-Stockton (MO). In the first inning, CSC took an early lead making it 1-0. The Wildcats of IWU managed to load the bases in the third inning with singles from
Courtney Thomas and
Whitney Waddell, but could not capitalize on the opportunity, leaving the score unchanged. In the fifth inning, Culver-Stockton extended its lead to 2-0. IWU responded in the sixth inning as Thomas reached base on an error, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Maddie Martin. This narrowed the gap to 2-1 after the sixth inning. Despite a 7th inning comeback attempt from IWU, the Wildcats of Culver-Stockton held the lead and achieved the victory.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Rosemont, Illinois / Rosemont Dome
- Records: IWU 1-1 I AQ 0-1 | CSC 3-4
- Game One Score: IWU def. AQ 5-0
- Game Two Score: CSC def. IWU 2-1
- NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #20 | AQ - Unranked | CSC - Unranked
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
- Leah May got the 2nd inning started with a walk and was brought home two batters later when Aliya Bilger collected her first collegiate hit and RBI in the same swing.
- IWU pushed the lead to 3-0 in the 3rd inning when Maddie Martin hit a double to left center that scored both Courtney Thomas and Whitney Waddell. Freshman Danica Fuller also gained her first career RBI, getting Martin into home to make the score 4-0.
- Martin would then hit her second double of the game and bring in a third RBI in the 5th inning for the final run of the game, giving IWU the 5-0 win.
- Isabelle Beidelschies shut down the Saints in her first start of the season. The sophomore went all 7 innings without allowing a run and punched out 6 batters.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
- The second game of the day saw freshman Avery Toole make her collegiate debut on the mound for IWU against Culver-Stockton. CSC would go up 1-0 in the bottom of the 1st on a SAC fly to center field.
- Toole would not allow another run in her stint, finishing with 6 strikeouts to only 4 hits in her 4 innings.
- CSC extended the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the 5th inning.
- After reaching base on an error, Courtney Thomas would come around to score on a SAC fly to center field from Maddie Martin.
- Indiana Wesleyan attempted a 7th inning comeback with a single and stolen base but was unable to drive in a run to tie.
NEXT TIME OUT
- The Wildcats play in Rosemont again tomorrow against No. 14 Madonna and William Penn at 9:00 AM ET and 11 AM ET respectively.
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