MOUNT PLEASANT – Ayla Serrano (Fr.-Rock Island, Ill.) pitched her first collegiate shutout, allowing Iowa Wesleyan College a split of its doubleheader against Midwest Collegiate Conference foe Clarke College Tuesday afternoon in the Tigers’ home opener at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex.
Serrano pitched a three-hitter as the Tigers won 4-0 over the Crusaders in the nightcap of the twinbill. IWC pulled out the second win after Clarke won the first game by an identical 4-0 score. The doubleheader also was the opening of conference play for both teams
Wesleyan (5-11 overall) bounced back from a struggling offensive performance in the opener to score four quick runs in the first two innings of the second game. Kali Hills (So.-Fruitland, Iowa) had a two-run single in the first inning and Sarah Weber (Sr.-Danville, Iowa) and Leigha Strong (Jr.-Muscatine, Iowa) both drove in a run over the first two innings. Ashley Mysliwiec (Fr.-Antioch, Ill.) also had three hits and the Tigers had eight hits in the second game, six coming in the first two innings.
The run support was more than enough for Serrano, who went the distance and never allowed a runner past first base. The freshman allowed just the three hits and four total base runners, striking out eight.
The second game turned out to be a reverse of the first game, in which Clarke owned the hitting column and pitcher Nicki Newhoff dominated, allowing just two hits while striking out six.
IWC’s Mallory Crane (Jr.-Des Moines, Iowa) dueled with Newhoff and went six innings before the Crusaders broke through with a run in both the fourth and fifth innings and two runs in the sixth. Crane finished allowing nine hits and walking three while striking out three.
The Tigers’ lone hits came from Serrano and Haleigh Hempen (Sr.-Hamilton, Ill.). Newhoff allowed the two hits and walked two, and IWC was foiled on its best chance of the game to score when Hempen led off the fifth with a double and moved to third with one out but was unable to score.
Wesleyan will next play a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at Wartburg College in Waverly, with the first game starting at 3 p.m.
For more information regarding the IWC softball program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
Box score Game 1 Clarke 4 IWC 0
Box score Game 2 IWC 4 Clarke 0
