Box Score
Benedictine University and Illinois Wesleyan University played on a teeter-totter Friday morning, with Emma Clark's eighth inning sacrifice fly providing the margin in IWU's 6-5 win at van Steenderen Field in the Whitewater Regional of the NCAA III softball tournament.
Senior leftfielder Ashley Parrott opened the third inning with a home run to draw first blood for Benedictine. Kelly Mieszala added a RBI single through the left side to put the Eagles up 2-0. Senior rightfielder Amanda Straka led off the fourth with a solo home run, upping Benedictine's lead to 3-0. Meanwhile, BU hurler Melisa Guzior held the Titans scoreless on three hits through the first four innings. Wesleyan made up that ground, and more, with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Senior centerfielder Keri Leach plated two with a single to left. Senior third baseman Emma Clark and junior designated hitter Allie Riordan drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with singles, as IWU took the lead 4-3. Freshman catcher Kailee Cable followed an inning opening walk with her fifth home run of the year to give Benedictine a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh Clark came through with a clutch hit again, leading off the frame with her eleventh home run to send the game into extra innings tied 5-5. Back to Benedictine, and the Eagles responded, scratching out the go-ahead run, 6-5, by combining a single, a sacrifice and two IWU errors. The pattern continued in the bottom of the eighth, where Leach doubled in the tying run, and Clark brought Leach home with a sacrifice fly.
IWU starter Alyssa Vorel went 7.2 innings. Jenna Noland, 5-2, picked up the win in relief. The Titans had five players with two hits, totaling 13 as a team. Cable collected two of Benedictine's five hits. Melissa Guzior started on the mound fro Benedictine, going five innings before giving way to Ashley Parrott, 5-1, who picked up the win.
Benedictine, 26-14, will play UW-Eau Claire later Friday in the double elimination tournament. Illinois Wesleyan, 32-9, will face North Central College in the final game on Friday's schedule.
