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MACOMB, Ill.- After its weekend contests were canceled, the Western Illinois softball team looks to win its seventh straight contest on Tuesday (April 17) on the road against Iowa. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Iowa City, Iowa.
LAST TIME OUT: The Leathernecks have not suffered a loss since March 21 against Bradley and are riding a six-game winning streak into the weekend. This past weekend (April 7-8) against Fort Wayne, the Purple and Gold beat the Mastodons, 5-0, 10-9 and 7-3. Emily Ira pitched a shutout in the first contest, while Alyssa Ealy hit a walk-off double to win the game for Western Illinois in the 10-9 come-from-behind victory. WIU showed off its power in the third game of the series, slugging four home runs. Halle Hollatz, Meghan Henson, Payton Abbott and Hailey Duwa each put a ball over the fence for the Leathernecks in the 7-3 win.
IRA EARNS HER SECOND HONOR OF THE SEASON: Â Western Illinois junior pitcher Ira was named Summit League Co-Pitcher of the Week for her performance over the weekend, the league office announced April 9. The award is Ira's eighth of her career and second of the season after garnering the same honor the week of Feb. 26. The Iowa City, Iowa, native pitched two complete games against Fort Wayne, picking up two wins. Ira allowed six hits in 14 innings of work while striking out 12 Mastodons. Against Ira, opponents hit a .128 clip and have only scored three runs. In her first appearance, Ira pitched a two-hit shutout.
ATOP THE SUMMIT: The Leathernecks boast a 6-0 record in Summit League play so far this season after series sweeps of South Dakota and Fort Wayne. South Dakota State sits in second place at 5-3 in the league, while the North Dakota State Bison round out the top-3 with a 2-2 record. The Leathernecks also lead the league in many categories in league play. Hitting the ball at a .408 clip in league play, WIU is the leader among Summit League teams in batting average, while also sitting atop the Summit in on-base percentage (.468) and slugging percentage (.628).
BLAZIN' BATS: Duwa, Marlow, and Hollatz are Western's trio of players that are batting above .500 in league play. Duwa and Marlow are each batting .545 with 12 hits, while Hollatz claims an even .500 clip with 11 hits. Duwa's 13 RBIs rank third among Summit League players in league play. Each of the three players ranks in the top-5 in batting average in The Summit League with Duwa and Marlow ranking second and Hollatz earning the fifth spot. Duwa and Marlow's on-base percentage (.615) also ranks second.
STULGA GETS AN APPEARANCE: After pitching in 22 contests in 2017, Stulga made her first appearance in the circle against Fort Wayne on April 7. In her 3.1 innings of work, Stulga gave up six hits and two earned runs while earning the win.
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SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES: Iowa comes into the contest with a 19-21 overall record, while sitting at 5-8 Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have lost four out of their last five games but swept University of Wisconsin (April 7-8). Iowa is led by head coach Marla Looper, who is in her eighth season at the helm.
ON DECK: The Leathernecks return home for a three-game league series against Omaha beginning on April 21.
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