MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – Indiana Wesleyan Softball traveled to Mount Vernon Nazarene University for a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon and came out victorious for the season series sweep of the Cougars. Game 1 ended in five innings after a late offensive barrage from the Wildcats forced a run rule, 14-3. Game 2 saw a thrilling comeback for IWU as they were down 7-4 going into the final frame. The red and grey would power 5 runs across home plate in the 7th to win 9-7 and keep their winning streak alive.
Mount Vernon struck first with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning in game 1. In the following inning, an error by MVNU allowed
Courtney Thomas to go home and tie the game. IWU would tack on another run in the top of the 4th when Thomas singled but another error gave
Emma Wiberg the opportunity to round third and cross home plate. The Wildcats would explode for 12 runs in the 5th inning and Mount Vernon scored 2 more of their own to make the final score 14-3.
IWU took the early lead in the second game of the day with a run in the 1st inning, but the Cougars would plate 7 in the bottom of the 4th to take a commanding lead. The Wildcats slowly crept back into the game, scoring 2 in the 5th and another in the 6th to make the score 7-4 in favor of MVNU going into the final inning. A hit-by-pitch and a walk to start the inning gave
Malayni Clemens the opportunity to cut into the lead. Clemens would hit a single to the outfield to score both runners and start the rally. Two batters later,
Danica Fuller brought home Clemens with a single to tie the game at 7. With the Wildcats down to their final out,
Morgan Yeater hit a clutch double to bring home Fuller and
Sara Ruble to take the lead, 9-7. Clemens shut the door on the Cougars in the bottom of the 7th and picked up her first win of the year in the circle.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Mount Vernon, Ohio / Cougar Softball Field
- Records: IWU 24-8 (17-3) I MVNU 16-16 (9-13)
- Game One Score: IWU def. MVNU 14-3
- Game Two Score: IWU def. MVNU 9-7
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
- Mount Vernon took the first lead with 1 run in the 1st inning.
- IWU answered with a run of their own aided by an error in the 2nd.
- Courtney Thomas singled and brought home Emma Wiberg in the 4th to give IWU the lead, 2-1.
- 15 combined runs were scored in the 5th inning, but 12 of them were in favor of the Wildcats. With the bases loaded, Courtney Thomas drew a walk to bring home the first run of the inning. Leah May followed that with a single that scored Maddie Seitz and kept the bases loaded. Freshman Madisyn Tharpe also drew a walk and the lead was extended by another run. In the next at-bat, Sara Ruble singled to the outfield to drive home 2 runners to make the score 7-1. Back-to-back singles by Whitney Waddell and Morgan Yeater scored the next 3 runs. Brylee Bilger hit her 10th home run of the season with 2 runners on base and her sister Aliya Bilger singled later in the inning to score the final run for the Wildcats.
- The Cougars brought home 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th but the game was out of reach and IWU won 14-3.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
- IWU took the 1-0 lead in the 1st inning when Courtney Thomas came home due to an error.
- MVNU popped for 7 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning to lead 7-0.
- Danica Fuller doubled to start the 5th and came around to score on a batted ball by Morgan Yeater. Another run would score on a Thomas single.
- The comeback slowly moved along when Whitney Waddell hit an RBI single in the 6th to make it 7-4 in favor of Mount Vernon.
- Brylee Bilger and Courtney Thomas both reached 1st safely to open the 7th inning. Malayni Clemens then hit a 2 RBI single to bring IWU within 1. Fuller tied the game at 7 with a single that brought Clemens home and Morgan Yeater completed the comeback with a double to give IWU the 9-7 lead.
KEY WILDCATS
NEXT TIME OUT
- The Wildcats host Spring Arbor in a rescheduled home doubleheader on Wednesday, April 8th at 3:00 PM.
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