IW softball sweeps Knox College

The first home action for the Iowa Wesleyan softball team turned into the first home sweep. The Tigers clung on for a 6-5 lead in game one against Knox College on Wednesday evening and blew the Prairie Fire out 13-2 in the second game.

The Tigers began the game with four runs over the first two innings. Emma McDanel put IW on the board with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning. Taylor Johnson made it 2-0 with an RBI double in the second inning, and both Emmy Rodriguez and Kayla Ford knocked runs in with RBI singles later in the second.

The Tigers held a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning, but they weren't done scoring. Morgan Christner tacked on a run with an RBI single, and IW scored on a fielder's choice error off the bat of Alex Eyman to make it 6-0 after five.

Knox didn't go away without a fight. The Prairie Fiare cut the lead to two with a four-run top of the fifth, sixth, three of which came on a three-RBI home run. Another homer in the top of the seventh cut the Tiger advantage to 6-5, but the next batter grounded out for the final out of game one.

Ford led the Tigers in game one, going 2-3 with two runs scored. IW ended the game with eight hits, and were actually outhit by the Prairie Fire, who ended with nine.

Christner threw a complete game to get the win in game one. She gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits and one walk, while striking out 12 batters.

Game two was much more comfortable for IW, despite trailing 1-0 after the first half-inning. IW scored seven runs in the bottom of the first to bust the game open early.

McDanel brought home the first run for the game on an error by the left-fielder. Eyman singled home a run. McKena Wollery brought home one with a double. Allison Daum knocked in two with a double of her own, and Machholz sent in two more with a single.

The offense stayed hot throughout the rest of the game. Woolery hit another double in the second inning, eventually scoring on an Emily Rooney single. In the third, McDanel and Eyman both picked up RBI singles to stretch the lead to 13-1.

Knox scored one more run in the top of the fifth inning, but it was too little too late. IW finished game two with 13 hits.

Machholz went an impressive 3-3 with three RBIs and a run scored in game two. Eyman, Woolery and Daum each had two RBIs in the win. Ford, McDanel, Christner, Eyman, Woolery and Daum also finished with multiple hits, collecting two each.

McDanel picked up the win, throwing five innings and giving up just two earned runs on three hits and one walk. She finished the day with five strikeouts.

IW will be back at home for four games this weekend. The Tigers will take on Spalding University in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 30, and face Blackburn College in a doubleheader on Sunday, March 31.