DAVENPORT – Iowa Wesleyan College out-hit St. Ambrose University over two games but struggled to string those hits together in a row and lost a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader to the Queen Bees Tuesday afternoon.
St. Ambrose won by scores of 3-1 and 7-3, extending the Tigers’ brief losing streak in conference to three games. IWC slipped to 13-18 overall (5-6 in MCC) while the Queen Bees pulled ahead of Wesleyan in the conference standings, moving to 8-4 in the league (11-10 overall).
The Tigers got a strong pitching performance from Ayla Serrano (Fr.-Rock Island, Ill.) in the first game but were only unable to push across a single unearned run when Allie Roberts (Jr.-Marshalltown, Iowa) scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth inning.
SAU scored twice in the bottom of the fourth and added an insurance run in the sixth in a game in which both teams combined for just 12 hits. Caitlin Polzin pitched the complete game for St. Ambrose in the opener, allowing six hits and striking out five.
The Queen Bees got a big jump in the second game, scoring six runs in the first two innings against Wesleyan starter Mallory Crane (Jr.-Des Moines, Iowa). The Tigers got back within 6-3 by the fourth inning as Sarah Weber (Sr.-Danville, Iowa), Kara Harris (Sr.-Berry, Ill.) and Ashley Mysliwiec (Fr.-Antioch, Ill.) all drove in runs, but were unable to make any more of 11 hits in the game, in all stranding eight runners.
Serrano had three hits in the second game while Harris and Lauren Konop (Fr.-Plano, Ill.) both added two hits each. Brooke Iversen (Jr.-Earlville, Ill.) came on for Crane in the second inning and helped keep the game close, throwing 4 2/3 innings and allowing four hits and one run.
The Tigers will step out of conference play for the weekend, starting with a doubleheader Thursday against Purdue North Central (Ind.) at 5 p.m. at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. IWC then will host its annual Betty Sammons Classic on Friday and Saturday at East Lake Park, with games beginning Friday afternoon.
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 SAU 3 IWC 1
Box score Game 2 SAU 7 IWC 3
