Wesleyan softball picks up yet another MCC doubleheader split at Clarke

A pair of strong pitching performances was still only enough to get the Iowa Wesleyan College softball team a split of a doubleheader at Clarke University Monday afternoon in Midwest Collegiate Conference play.?

The Tigers allowed just two runs over the course of the doubleheader, but also struggled offensively in both games. IWC used a seventh-inning rally to win the first game over the Crusaders 6-1, but lost the second game 1-0, dropping to 8-25 overall and 5-7 in the MCC.?

Wesleyan scored five times in the top of the seventh in the first game, taking the lead and breaking open a tie game. Ayla Serrano hit a two-run single to give the Tigers the lead, and Cari Smith and Leigha Strong also drove in runs with RBI singles. IWC also took advantage of two Clarke errors in the inning, scoring three of its five runs unearned.?

The recipient of that run support was Serrano, who finished off a complete game allowing one run on six hits while striking out two and walking four. Serrano was able to get the Tigers to the seventh with a tie after working out of a major jam in the sixth, when the Crusaders scored to tie the game 1-1 and put the tying runner on third base with no outs.?

Serrano also led IWC at the plate with three hits in the game. Strong also was 2-for-4 and Jill Ginder was 1-for-3 with two runs scored from the eighth spot in the lineup.?

The Tigers got another excellent pitching performance in the second game from Ashley Mysliwiec. Wesleyan was unable to muster any offense around her, though, getting just two hits and unable to score on three separate occasions when putting a runner at third with two outs.??

Clarke (11-19 overall, 5-11 MCC) scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, getting back-to-back doubles from Kasey Stenger and Brianne Boals. The latter scored Stenger with the game-winning run, giving Mysliwiec the loss in her first start of the season. Mysliwiec allowed seven hits for the game and struck out three.?

IWC will be in action again Tuesday at home for a non-conference doubleheader against Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) University at 2:30 p.m. at the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex.