CLINTON – Ashlee Winner (Sr.-Rushville, Ill.) and Sarah McCleary (Fr.-Elgin, Ill.) provided strong starting pitching performances and Iowa Wesleyan College swept another doubleheader from Ashford University on Sunday to finish a four-game sweep of the Saints this weekend.
The Tigers defeated the Saints 4-1 in the opener on Sunday and then followed with an 8-3 win in the second game. IWC improved to 6-10 overall this season and posted a successful start to its Midwest Collegiate Conference schedule in what was the opening series of the conference season for both teams.
Wesleyan led from start to finish in the first game, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Hilarie Droz (Sr.-Ottumwa, Iowa), the first homer of the season for the Tigers. Haleigh Hempen (Jr.-Hamilton, Ill.) doubled in a run in the fourth and the Tigers scored another run in the seventh on an error.
The run support was more enough for Winner, who pitched a complete game and allowed six hits while striking out six. She picked up her second complete game of the series as well as her third straight win in two days.
IWC got off to an even better start in the second game, scoring four times in the first and then adding two runs in both the second and third innings. Sarah Weber (Jr.-Danville, Iowa) doubled in a pair of runs in the first to start the scoring and added a sacrifice fly in the third inning. Jerri Fuentez (Sr.-Houston, Texas) and Stephanie Benge (Sr.-Mount Pleasant, Iowa) also added run-scoring hits.
On the mound McCleary had the best start of her young career, going six innings and allowing three runs while striking out a pair. Brooke Iversen (So.-Earlville, Ill.) came on and pitched a scoreless seventh to wrap it up.
Fuentez and Katie Iversen (Sr.-Earlville, Ill.) both had three hits in the second game while Benge and Weber added a pair of hits as part of a 12-hit attack for Wesleyan. Fuentez led the team with a total of four hits over the two games.
The Tigers are scheduled to play their home opener on Tuesday, a non-conference doubleheader against Culver-Stockton (Mo.) College at 3 p.m. at the Mapleleaf Community Complex.
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 1
Box score Game 2 IWC 8 Ashford 3
