COLUMBUS, Ga. - Indiana Wesleyan Softball advanced to the next round of the 2026 NAIA National World Series after an extra innings battle with fellow Crossroads League member, No. 22 Marian University on Thursday morning. The Wildcats overcame multiple defensive errors and two deficits to force extra innings and came away with a 4-3 victory after 8 innings due to a
Sara Ruble walk-off single that score
Whitney Waddell.
The first inning started rough for IWU as Marian scored 2 runs on 3 errors by the defense. However, they came back strong and tied it at 2 after a
Morgan Yeater RBI triple and a
Maddie Martin SAC fly in the bottom of the 1st. Marian scored their 3rd run in the 3rd inning to go up 3-2. The Wildcats evened the scoring once more in the bottom of the 4th when Yeater singled to score
Sara Ruble. After scoreless innings in the 5th, 6th, and 7th, the game between the 8 and 9 seeds went to extra innings. In the 8th inning,
Isabelle Beidelschies pitched a 1-2-3 frame to give IWU the chance to walk it off.
Whitney Waddell started the inning with a double and was moved to third base on a SAC bunt by
Leah May. After a
Madisyn Tharpe walk,
Sara Ruble won the game with a single that brought home Waddell and capped off her 3 hit day. Indiana Wesleyan will face the 1 seed Madonna University tomorrow evening.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Columbus, Georgia / South Commons Complex
- Records: IWU 41-13 (30-6) | MU 38-17 (23-13)
- Game Score: IWU def. MU 4-3 (8 innings)
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- Marian struck first in the 1st inning after 3 errors from the Wildcats to go up 2-0.
- In the bottom of the 1st, Morgan Yeater tripled to bring Courtney Thomas home and was brought home herself on a Maddie Martin SAC fly which tied it up at 2.
- The Knights took the lead once again in the top of the 3rd, scoring one run.
- Morgan Yeater recorded her second RBI of the day in the bottom of the 4th inning with a single that scored Sara Ruble and tied the game once more.
- IWU and Marian kept each other off the board for the next three innings and forced the first game of the World Series into extra innings.
- Sophomore Isabelle Beidelschies came in to pitch in the 6th inning and performed well, recording a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the 8th.
- Sara Ruble ended up the hero of the game with the walk-off single that scored Whitney Waddell in the bottom of the 8th.
KEY WILDCATS
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 21, 2026
- Game 1: No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan def. No. 9 Marian 4-3 (8 Innings)
- Game 2: No. 4 Mobile vs. No. 5 Our Lady of the Lake - 1:00 PM
- Game 3: No. 3 Southern Oregon vs. No. 6 Cumberlands (Ky.) - 4:00 PM
- Game 4: No. 7 College of Idaho vs. No. 10 British Columbia - 7:00 PM
Friday, May 22, 2026
- Game 5: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser - 10:00 AM
- Game 6: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser - 1:00 PM
- Game 7: No. 2 Southeastern vs. Game 4 winner - 4:00 PM
- Game 8: No. 1 Madonna vs. No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan - 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 23, 2026
- Game 9: Game 7 Loser vs. Game 5 Winner - 10:00 AM
- Game 10: Game 8 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner - 1:00 PM
- Game 11: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner - 4:00 PM
- Game 12: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner - 7:00 PM
Monday, May 25, 2026
- Game 13: Game 12 Loser vs. Game 10 Winner - 1:00 PM
- Game 14: Game 11 Loser vs. Game 9 Winner - 4:00 PM
- Game 15: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner - 7:00 PM
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
- Game 16: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner - 4:00 PM
- Game 17: Game 15 Loser vs. Game 16 Winner - 7:00 PM
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
- Game 18: Game 15 Winner vs. Game 17 Winner - 5:00 PM
- Game 19: Game 18 Winner vs. Game 18 Loser - IF Necessary
NEXT TIME OUT
- IWU faces No. 1 Madonna tomorrow, Friday the 22nd at 7:00 PM.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS
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