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Sarah Twidwell

Softball Ready for Windy City Showdown

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

The Leathernecks travel north to clash at UIC in a doubleheader on April 13.

MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois softball team is set to wrap up non-league play at UIC in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Leathernecks secured their first Summit League series win of the season in a doubleheader split at South Dakota State (25-10, 4-2).
 
After dropping the middle game of the series on Monday (April 8), Western trailed 1-0 in game two of the doubleheader.  The score remained 1-0 until the top of the third when Western Illinois put runners at the corners with nobody out. Sydney Hollings reached on a fielder's choice while Lara beat the tag at home to even the score. WIU loaded the bases for the second time of the game and the pitcher delivered. Ira helped her own cause by lining a bases-clearing double to the gap for a 4-1 lead.
 
South Dakota State chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single to left field from Janssen.
 
An insurance run came across for the Leathernecks in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back singles by Sidney Bottino and Alyssa Ealy kept the inning alive as Lara dragged a single into shallow right field allowing Bottino to score from second.
 
Western led 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh as the Jackrabbits manufactured another run but that is all the home team managed. Ira (7-6) dealt another complete game allowing two earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts.

PRESEASON HONORS: Emily Ira and Hailey Duwa were both honored as Summit League 'Players to Watch' at the beginning of the 2019 season. 
 
IMPRESSIVE IRA: Ira struck out a season-high 13 batters in an 8-0 shutout win over Bowling Green on Saturday, March 9. Her career-high is 19 strikeouts.
 
600 AND NO SIGNS OF STOPPING: Ira is just the third Leatherneck to ever register 600 strikeouts (Holly Van Vlymen - 880, Kameren Ferguson - 763) as she has recorded 608 career strikeouts and counting. Ira currently ranks fifth in WIU program history with 572.0 innings pitched after passing Veronica Wilson (1990-93).  
 
THANK YOU, NEXT: Emily Ira has led Western in strikeouts every year since she arrived in Macomb as a freshman. The senior is tied for seventh in the NCAA in strikeout-to-walk ratio, sitting down 7.00 batters per each one she walks as of Thursday, April 11. Ira has struck out 84 batters as she ranks second in the Summit League this season.  
 
EVERYONE GETS A STRIKEOUT: Having played the fewest amount of games compared to other Summit League teams, the WIU pitching staff has still managed 138 total K's, ranking third in the league.
 
RECORD BOOK WATCH: Hailey Duwa has currently 18 career home runs and is tied for sixth in program history. One more could propel her into a tie fourth all-time and 21is the mark for second place. Payton Abbott ranks fourth in WIU softball history for doubles (44), with only two more two-baggers separating her from third all-time.
 
BEEN CAUGHT STEALING: Meghan Henson has thrown out nine runners attempting to steal, which ranks fourth in The Summit League. 
 
SEEING DOUBLES: Sydney Hollings has hit 10 doubles this season, which is tied for third in the Summit League so far. 
 
NOT MAKING IT EASY: Abby Carlin (8) is tied for the fewest walks allowed in the Summit League this season.   
 
CONSISTENT SPOTS IN THE ORDER: Although head coach Beth Golitko has tinkered with her batting order throughout the season, Jasmine Lara has hit leadoff in all 28 games. Hailey Duwa has batted out of the cleanup spot in all 28 contests as well. 

SCOUTING THE FLAMES: UIC enters the weekend with a 16-18 overall record, but a 7-2 mark in Horizon League action. The Flames are coming off their first two league losses of the season as they dropped a three-game set to Oakland April 5-6. UIC was forced to cancel a home contest against in-city foe Northwestern on Wednesday (April 10). Lexi Watts not only leads her squad in batting average but also has swiped a team-high 22 bases. Kayla Wedl has been clutch with a team-best 30 RBI while Tara McElligott paces the Flames with six homers. Marley Hannon has emerged as one of the top hurlers for UIC, allowing just six walks compared to 26 strikeouts.   
 
UIC alumna Lynn Curylo holds an 88-61 overall record in her third season as the head coach. Western Illinois leads the all-time series 17-10 and has won four of the last five meetings including two seasons ago in the Coach B Classic on March 5, 2017, when Payton Abbott dealt a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts in a 1-0 victory.
 
ON DECK: The Leathernecks return to Summit League play with a three-game series at North Dakota April 19-20.
 
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