FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Wesleyan Softball traveled to Westendorf Field on the campus of the University of Saint Francis (Ind.) for a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Game 1 was an offensive barrage by both teams with USF coming out on top, 11-9. IWU continued their steady offensive attack and got a complete-game effort from pitcher
Avery Toole to win game 2, 9-2.
Game 1 was all offense for both sides as 20 runs were scored between the teams. The first two innings alone produced 11 of the 20 runs. IWU started with 1, but USF took an early lead by scoring 5 runs. The Wildcats fought back to lead 6-5 after the 2nd inning, scoring 5 of their own.
Maddie Martin homered in the 4th inning to add another run to the lead, but Saint Francis scored 3 in the bottom of the 5th to once again take the lead at 8-7. Indiana Wesleyan produced 2 runs in the 6th, but USF brought home 3 more to win 11-9.
In game 2, the Wildcats scored in four of the first five innings and added insurance in the sixth, finishing with 9 runs on 13 hits. Toole handled the rest in the circle, limiting the Cougars to just two hits and two earned runs over seven innings with four strikeouts. IWU set the tone immediately in the first inning when
Whitney Waddell opened the game with a double and later came around to score on a run-scoring single from
Courtney Thomas for a 1-0 lead. Saint Francis would match with a run in the bottom of the first. The Wildcats began to separate in the second inning. With the bases loaded,
Morgan Yeater delivered a two-run single to put Indiana Wesleyan ahead 3-1. Saint Francis briefly pulled within one on a RBI single in the third, but IWU answered in the top half of the frame with a two-out rally highlighted by an RBI single from
Madisyn Tharpe that scored
Leah May for a 4-2 advantage. Indiana Wesleyan broke the game open in the fourth. Waddell reached on an error, later scoring on a passed ball, and Thomas followed with an RBI double as the Wildcats pushed the margin to 7-2. In the sixth, Tharpe put the game firmly out of reach with a two-run double, capping a 3-for-3 day that included three RBIs, a double and a walk as she reached base in all four plate appearances
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana / Westendorf Field
- Records: IWU 14-6 (7-1) I USF 10-6 (6-2)
- Game One Score: USF def. IWU 11-9
- Game Two Score: IWU def. USF 9-2
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
- IWU began the ballgame with a run by way of a Maddie Martin RBI double to score Morgan Yeater.
- Saint Francis took the lead in the bottom of the 1st with 5 runs helped by an error by the Wildcats.
- Facing the uphill battle, IWU responded with their own offensive punch. An infield single by Whitney Waddell with the bases loaded scored the first run of the 2nd inning. Martin collected her 2nd and 3rd RBI of the game with a single that got Danica Fuller and Alexis Thompson home. Two errors by the Cougars gave the Wildcats 2 runs and the lead before ending the inning.
- After a scoreless 3rd, Indiana Wesleyan added another run in the top of the 4th from a Maddie Martin solo home run for her 2nd HR in 3 games.
- A 3 run home run for USF gave them the lead right back in the bottom of the 5th and the score was 8-7 going into the 6th.
- Courtney Thomas tied the game back up with a triple that scored Morgan Yeater and Leah May laid down a perfect bunt to reach 1st and score Thomas to give IWU the 9-8 lead at the end of the 6th.
- In the end, Saint Francis put up 3 more runs in the top of the 7th and shut down IWU in the bottom of the 7th to walk away with the 11-9 victory.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
- IWU came back from the doubleheader break with a purpose, putting up a run in the top of the 1st as Courtney Thomas hit an RBI single to score Whitney Waddell.
- USF put up a run in the same inning to tie it up, but IWU kept scoring. Morgan Yeater hit a bases loaded single to that scored 2 runners to bump the score to 3-1.
- IWU would then score again in the 3rd inning from a Madisyn Tharpe single that scored Leah May from 2nd base. Saint Francis cut into the lead in the bottom of the 3rd but would not score a run for the rest of the ballgame.
- The 4th inning saw 3 runners cross home for the Wildcats. An error led to the first run and a passed ball allowed another. The final run of the frame came off the bat of Courtney Thomas who scored Emma Wiberg from 1st base.
- After a scoreless 5th, Madisyn Tharpe picked up 2 more RBIs on a double in the 6th inning that gave IWU the 9-2 lead. Avery Toole finished off her complete game by shutting down the Cougars and picking up her 7th win of the year.
KEY WILDCATS
NEXT TIME OUT
- The Wildcats take on their toughest opponent of the season with No. 7 Marian on Tuesday, March 24th starting at 3:00 PM.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
#
