McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team achieved a decisive sweep against North Park University on Sunday, April 21, at Inspiration Field in Bloomington, Illinois. The Titans claimed both games of the doubleheader with scores of 8-0 and 13-4, respectively. This victory improved their overall record to 21-8 and boosted their standing in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin to 8-2. Meanwhile, North Park's record fell to 9-21 overall and 4-6 in conference play.

In the first game, Illinois Wesleyan secured an 8-0 win over North Park in just five innings. Sophomore Anna Beckman initiated the scoring with a single in the third inning, followed by contributions from juniors Jen Kuhn and Ava Khoury. Sophomore Casey Wissmiller hit a grand slam that brought the score to 4-0. Further singles by Beckman and sophomore Claire Post helped extend the lead, while freshman Hailey Milgazo's single contributed to a six-run advantage.

Sophomore pitcher Gianna Certa maintained control on the mound, achieving her fifth shutout of the season by allowing only two hits while striking out six batters. "Wissmiller headlined the run support with a 3-for-3 effort that included four RBIs," according to reports.

The second game saw Illinois Wesleyan overcoming an early deficit as they scored eight runs in the fourth inning alone, aided by four hits and two errors from North Park. Kuhn's single was pivotal in this offensive burst, supported by an RBI single from senior Bailey Turner and a two-run double by Post.

Despite North Park reducing IWU's lead with a three-run homer in the fifth inning, Beckman's defensive skills ended that inning decisively. Additional runs were added by Wissmiller and Turner towards securing a final score of 13-4 for Illinois Wesleyan.

The Titans are set to continue their homestand against Coe College on Wednesday, April 24.