MARION, Ind. - Indiana Wesleyan Softball took on the University of Saint Francis on Friday afternoon in a battle for first place of the Crossroads League. The Wildcats snuck out a 4-3 walk off win in game 1 but couldn't put it together in the second game, falling 13-5.
Game 1 started with a pitching battle between Ellie Sauder of Saint Francis and IWU's
Avery Toole. After two scoreless innings, IWU scored first with a 2-run home run by
Sara Ruble. USF scored 2 of their own in the 4th and then took the lead with another in the 6th. Trailing 3-2 in the 7th, IWU got the tying run aboard. Down to the last out,
Sara Ruble reached base on an error that allowed
Leah May to come all the way home from 1st base and tie the game.
Danica Fuller followed immediately with a single into the outfield that scored Ruble to walk it off in the 7th.
Saint Francis came out scorching in game 2. The Cougars put up runs of 1, 5, and 4 in the first 3 innings to take a commanding 10-0 lead. Facing a run-rule result, the Wildcats put together 3 runs courtesy of a
Malayni Clemens home run to stay alive in the 4th. IWU picked up another run in the 5th on a double by
Morgan Yeater to make it 10-4. However, USF added 3 to their score in the top of the 6th. IWU would cross another runner but was unable to catch up enough resulting in a 13-5 run-rule loss after 6 innings.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Marion, Indiana / Sue Bowman Field
- Records: IWU 32-10 (25-5) I USF 29-8 (25-4)
- Game One Score: IWU def. USF 4-3
- Game Two Score: USF def. IWU 13-5
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
- Both pitchers started strong with the Wildcats' Avery Toole collecting 4 strikeouts across her first 3 innings of work.
- After not registering a base runner in the first two innings, Madisyn Tharpe hit an infield single off the pitcher's glove. In the ensuing at-bat, Sara Ruble blasted her first over-the-fence home run of her career, giving IWU the 2-0 lead.
- In the following inning, the Cougars tied up the score at 2.
- USF took the lead in the top of the 6th on a double that scored 1 run.
- Now down 3-2, IWU was forced to make another comeback attempt. After nothing going in the 6th, the Wildcats were down to their final 3 outs in the 7th. With 2 outs and a runner on first, Sara Ruble flied one to left field. Due to an error Ruble advanced all the way to 3rd base and Leah May scored to tie the ball game.
- Avery Toole picks up her 16th win of the season, holding her lead for the most in the Crossroads, and crossed the 100 career strikeout mark in the game!
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
- Saint Francis took control early and didn't look back in the second game of the day.
- The Cougars scored a run in the 1st then added 5 in the 2nd and 4 more in the 3rd to lead 10-0.
- Malayni Clemens hit a 3 run shot in the 4th to keep the Wildcats in the game.
- Morgan Yeater brought home Danica Fuller with a double in the 5th to make it 10-4 in favor of USF.
- But Saint Francis would plate 3 additional runs in the top of the 6th to push their lead back out to 9.
- Facing a run-rule loss, IWU attempted to comeback, scoring a run from a Leah May double, but it wasn't enough as USF won 13-5 after 6 innings.
KEY WILDCATS
NEXT TIME OUT
- The Wildcats welcome the No. 20 Marian University Knights tomorrow at 2:00 PM.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
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