McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team is set to conclude its season-opening eight-game road trip with a two-game series against Monmouth College on Tuesday, March 18. The games are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at the Monmouth College Softball Field.

Illinois Wesleyan, holding a 4-2 record, returns from a successful stint in California where they won four out of six games from March 7-9. Their recent victories include defeating Case Western 4-2 and Bethel 9-1. In contrast, Monmouth College stands at 2-12 this season and has lost its last four games. This upcoming game will be their first home match of the season.

Historically, Illinois Wesleyan has dominated the encounters between these teams, leading the series 41-5 since it began in 1997. They have won the last 21 meetings against Monmouth College. Last year, Illinois Wesleyan swept a doubleheader in Bloomington with scores of 21-2 and 7-1.

Jen Kuhn leads the Titans offensively with a .588 batting average and tops her team in RBIs (10), hits (10), and doubles (4). Other notable players include Bella Pinter (.364), Hailey Milgazo (.353), and Grace Wilkens (.333).

On the pitching side, sophomore Mallory Holland has made two appearances with a 1-0 record over 12 innings while maintaining a .159 opponent batting average. Freshman Maddie Pool holds a 1-1 record with nine strikeouts over 11 innings pitched. Junior Gianna Certa leads in innings pitched (14) with a perfect 2-0 record. Junior Caroline Gatchell has also contributed time on the mound.

Fans can access live stats and streaming through iwusports.com for Tuesday's game.