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Nina Maggio Fp
WIU Visual Productions Center
6
Winner Western Illinois WIU 15-20, 6-1 Summit
1
Fort Wayne FW 7-27, 0-4 Summit
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
15-20, 6-1 Summit
6
Final
1
Fort Wayne FW
7-27, 0-4 Summit
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 6 6 0
Fort Wayne FW 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 0

W: Ira, Emily (7-10) L: B. Benefiel (3-11)

3
Western Illinois WIU 15-21, 6-2 Summit
4
Winner Fort Wayne FW 8-27, 1-4 Summit
Western Illinois WIU
15-21, 6-2 Summit
3
Final
4
Fort Wayne FW
8-27, 1-4 Summit
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 10 2
Fort Wayne FW 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 4 10 2

W: Darby Shaw (1-2) L: Stulga, Brooke (5-6)

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks, Mastodons Split Doubleheader Saturday

Western Illinois took game one 6-1 before falling 4-3 in game two

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Western Illinois softball split a doubleheader to open up a road Summit League series at Fort Wayne Saturday (April 8). The Leathernecks had timely hitting to win game one, 6-1, behind a strong pitching performance from Emily Ira but lost game two in extra innings, 4-3.

Western moves to 15-21 overall and 6-2 in league action, while FW is 8-27 overall and 1-4 in league play after the doubleheader. 
 
"The first game we definitely came through with late adjustments," head coach Holly Van Vlymen said. "Emily (Ira) did a good job keeping them off balance. In game two we had runners in scoring position with nobody out several times and needed to come through. There's no doubt that we'll bounce back tomorrow and be fine."
 
GAME ONE: WIU 6, Fort Wayne 1
 
Both offenses took a while to warm up in game one. The Mastodons recorded the first hit of the day in the bottom of the third inning but Ira recovered sitting down the next three batters she faced. After three innings, Ira had five strikeouts.
 
Western broke the game open in the top of the fifth inning. Aly Compton led off the frame with a single. A batter later, Taylor Messer drew a walk. With two runners on and two outs, Rachel Beatty lined a double over the head of the centerfielder breaking the scoreless tie and putting WIU up 1-0. The very next batter, Nina Maggio, dragged the ball down the third base line scoring two more runs.
 
Fort Wayne collected another leadoff single in its half of the fifth before Ira recovered and struck out two batters to end the inning and maintain Western's 3-0 advantage.
 
Holly Hoelting kept the bats going with a leadoff single up the middle in the top of the sixth. Up next, Halle Hollatz walked and then a wild pitch scooted both runners into scoring position at second and third. Compton grounded out to third but it allowed another WIU run to cross the plate. Messer sent the ball to left field for a double bringing in Hollatz. Pinch-hitter Hailey Duwa dragged an RBI single down the first base line to cap off another three run, three hit inning and extending the Leathernecks lead to 6-0.
 
Up 6-0, Ira cruised in the circle until Sierra Miranda delivered an RBI single to break up the shutout.
 
Ira went the distance and struck out 12 Mastodons en route to her seventh win of the season. Six Leathernecks recorded a hit in Beatty, Maggio, Hoelting, Compton, Messer and Duwa. Maggio led the Leathernecks with two RBIs.
 
GAME TWO: Fort Wayne 4, WIU 3
 
Similar to game one, Western started the scoring in game two as well. In the top of the third inning with the bases loaded, Marlow hit a ground ball to short that was misplayed by the shortstop allowing two Leatherneck runs to score.
 
Fort Wayne was quick to respond in the bottom half of the third on an RBI single by leadoff hitter Lauren Watson. The Mastodons were not done yet, in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs, Miranda hit a solo homer that barely cleared the right field fence to tie the game at 2-2. Following another base hit, the day was done for Leatherneck starting pitcher Payton Abbott. Brooke Stulga came in out of the bullpen and gave up a double to Brooke Imel that brought across the go ahead run. After four innings, the Mastodons held a 3-2 lead.
 
Marlow singled and then stole second base with one out in the top of the fifth inning. Hoelting due up next flew out to right field and Marlow tagged up for third. The throw from right field was wild and it allowed Marlow to score, tying the game up 3-3.
 
In the top of the seventh, Marlow and Hoelting collected back-to-back singles but were left stranded at first and second.
 
Stulga settled into a groove in the circle and she didn't flinch after giving up a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh. She set down the next three batters she faced to send the game to extras still tied at 3-3.
 
Jasmine Lara led off the eighth with a double down the left field line but Shaw danced out of danger again for the Mastodons and escaped the half-inning without giving up a run.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth and a runner in scoring position, Fort Wayne's Imel placed a base hit down the left field line plating the game-winning run and giving the Mastodons the 4-3 win.
 
Maggio, Marlow and Compton each had two hits for the Leathernecks. Imel went 3-for-4 with two RBIs including the game-winning hit for Fort Wayne.
 
The rubber game of the three game series is Sunday (April 9) in Fort Wayne with first pitch set for 10 a.m. (CT).
 
   
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