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Holly Hoelting HR vs. IUPUI
WIU Visual Productions Center
1
IUPUI IUPUI 23-12
2
Winner Western Illinois WIU 13-13
IUPUI IUPUI
23-12
1
Final
2
Western Illinois WIU
13-13
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
IUPUI IUPUI 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1
Western Illinois WIU 0 2 0 0 0 0 X 2 4 0

W: Hart, Kacyee (6-6) L: Emili Escamilla (8-3) S: Walsh, Teagan (2)

7
Winner IUPUI IUPUI 24-12
5
Western Illinois WIU 13-14
Winner
IUPUI IUPUI
24-12
7
Final
5
Western Illinois WIU
13-14
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
IUPUI IUPUI 0 0 3 1 0 1 2 7 10 2
Western Illinois WIU 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 5 8 0

W: Emili Escamilla (9-3) L: Walsh, Teagan (1-1)

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Earn Split With Jaguars

Kacyee Hart allowed only two hits through six innings in Western's victory over IUPUI.

MACOMB, Ill. – Kacyee Hart allowed only two hits over six innings, leading Western to a 2-1 win in game one, and a split against IUPUI on Saturday (April 11). Western had a lead after five innings in game two, but a late IUPUI rally denied the Leathernecks a sweep. Western Illinois moved to 13-14 overall and 3-5 in Summit League play.

GAME ONE: Western Illinois 2, IUPUI 1 –

Kacyee Hart allowed the first two baserunners to reach, but went into cruise control, retiring 15 of the next 16 batters she faced, including three strikeouts.

Western Illinois broke through in the second with a two-out rally. Rachel Beatty drew a two-out walk and moved to second on a Sammy Marshall single. Teagan Walsh delivered with a double to left field, scoring both runners and giving Western a 2-0 lead.

Those runs would be all the Leathernecks needed, as Hart kept a no-hitter until the sixth inning. IUPUI (24-12, 6-5) would score once in the sixth, but the threat ended with a double play from Hart, to Lia Romeo at the plate and to Walsh at first, to end the inning. 

Walsh closed the door in the seventh, securing her second save of the year and a 2-1 Western win.

Romeo finished with two of Western's four hits. Hart went six innings, allowing one run on two hits and six strikeouts. Walsh worked the final inning, retiring every batter she faced.

"I thought Kacyee did a great job. She really made some adjustments, she worked ahead and she was hitting her pitches. All of her pitches were on today and that really helped," said head coach Holly Van Vlymen.

GAME TWO: Western Illinois 5, IUPUI 7 –

Kayla Kirkpatrick worked around a two-out walk in the first, allowing Western to once again take the lead in the second inning. Lia Romeo led off the inning with a double, her second of the doubleheader, and came around to score on a Nina Maggio single to right. The Jaguars would take a 3-1 lead, however, in the top of the third, scoring three runs on three hits.

The Leathernecks cut into the lead in the bottom half on a Lia Romeo sacrifice fly, scoring Teagan Walsh who led the inning off with a double.

Trailing 3-2, the Jaguars scored, pushing the deficit to 4-2 heading into bottom of the fourth. The big hit appeared to come in the bottom of the fifth for the Leathernecks. After Tierney Bottino reached on an error, a single from Romeo put runners at first and second for Holly Hoelting. The sophomore hit her second home run of the year to left, putting Western in front 5-4.

IUPUI tied the game in the sixth before taking the lead in the seventh off of Walsh, who entered with two outs in the sixth.

"We could have come through with runners in scoring position a bit more but their pitchers kept us off balance. This was one of those games where each team answered everything the other team did," Van Vlymen said.
 
Kirkpatrick finished with a season-high four strikeouts. The senior allowed five runs on six hits. Walsh worked two-third of an inning, conceding two runs on four hits. Brooke Stulga pitched the final two-thirds of an inning, retiring the final two batters.

"IUPUI is a great hitting ball club so for Kayla to go through the order three times was fantastic. This is probably her best performance of the year," Van Vlymen added.

Romeo and Maggio both finished with a pair of base hits for Western.

The series will be decided on Sunday at 11 a.m. with the finale of the three-game series. 
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