CLINTON – Ashlee Winner (Sr.-Rushville, Ill.) pitched a shutout in the opening game of a doubleheader and came on in relief for a win in the second game as Iowa Wesleyan College swept Ashford University in a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader Saturday.
Winner allowed just four hits and struck out six as the Tigers grabbed a 4-0 win in the opener. IWC then had to rally back with two runs in the top of the seventh and Molly Ward (Fr.-Baylis, Ill.) drove in the winning run in a 9-8 win in the second game.
The Tigers swept their opening conference games of the season and picked up two wins in the team’s first games since March 6. IWC did it with some early runs and pitching in the first game, scoring three times in the top of the first inning.
Jerri Fuentez (Sr.-Houston, Texas) singled in a run and Haleigh Hempen (Jr.-Hamilton, Ill.) drove in a pair to make it 3-0 in the first. The margin was more than enough for Winner, who allowed just runner to advance as far as third base.
The Tigers and Saints went back and forth in the second game. IWC took a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Hilarie Droz (Sr.-Ottumwa, Iowa). Ashford came back with three in the bottom of the third inning, but Wesleyan erupted for six runs in the fourth for a 7-3 lead.
The Saints battled back with one in the fourth, three in the fifth and then a run in the sixth to take an 8-7 lead. The Tigers scored twice in the ninth, though, as Hempen drove in pinch runner Mallory Crane (So.-Des Moines, Iowa) with the tying run and Ward followed later by reaching on an error as Hempen scored the lead run. Winner closed it out by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh, and in all pitched 2 2/3 innings for the win in relief of starter Rebecca Wilson (Fr.-Algonquin, Ill.).
Hempen, Kelley Bettag (Fr.-Dale, Ind.) and Stephanie Benge (Sr.-Mount Pleasant, Iowa) all had three hits on the day for IWC, which improved to 4-10 overall this year. Ashford fell to 0-10 this year.
The two teams will play another doubleheader Sunday starting at noon in Clinton.
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 IWC 4 Ashford 0
Box score Game 2 IWC 9 Ashford 8
