Christner, Tigers dominate in SLIAC quarterfinals

FULTON, Mo. - When they had to be, the Iowa Wesleyan softball team was at their best.

The fifth-seeded Tigers thrashed fourth-seed Westminster in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Quarterfinals, knocking the Blue Jays out 6-0 on their own home field.

Senior ace Morgan Christner wasn’t about to let Wednesday’s quarterfinal be her last game in the circle. The former New London star pitched a five-hit shutout, striking out 10 batters to earn the win.

But Christner’s arm wasn’t the only thing giving Westminster fits. Her bat was just as good, as she went 3-for-3 with two home runs.

The first two Tiger runs came off the bat of Ivy Geerdes. The second basemen came up clutch with a two-out bases loaded single in the third, which plated two runs.

Christner’s first bomb came with no outs in the third inning. She hit a leadoff homer to give the Tigers a 3-0 advantage.

The Blue Jays stranded two runners in the bottom of the fifth. In the next half inning, the Tigers would deliver in a pair of daggers.

The inning started innocently enough, as Westminster got the first two Tigers out, but the top of the Iowa Wesleyan order came through.

Kayla Ford hit a two-out double to put a runner on second for Kara Krieger. Krieger, another former New London prep, launched a two-run bomb to center field, and Christner followed with another homer to center for back-to-back jacks.

The Tigers finished the day with 11 hits. Christner wasn’t the only player with a multi-hit game, as Geerdes, Yessenia Munoz and Taylor Johnson all had two.

The Tigers advanced to the double-elimination portion of the tournament, along with No. 1 seed Fontbonne, No. 2 Webster and No. 3 Spalding. That tournament is running Thursday through Saturday.