SLIAC Game of the Week: Iowa Wesleyan vs. Westminster

SLIAC Game of the Week: Iowa Wesleyan vs. Westminster

At a Glance
This week's SLIAC Game of the Week is when Iowa Wesleyan University visits Westminster College in a softball double header on Saturday afternoon. This week will be the halfway point of the 2016 season and Iowa Wesleyan and Westminster are currently even at 3-3 in conference play, tied for fourth place in the SLIAC standings. The two teams will meet in a double header Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. in Fulton, Mo.

Iowa Wesleyan "TIGERS"
Iowa Wesleyan begins a busy week with a 9-15 overall record and a 3-3 record in the SLIAC. The Tigers are set to face MacMurray on Tuesday and non-conference opponent Mount Mercy on Wednesday before traveling to Westminster on Saturday. The Tigers dropped a double header to Greenville last Saturday in their last outing.

The Tigers are hitting .281 as a team, eighth in the league, and averaging 4.2 runs per game. Kennedy Vinchattle is the Tigers' most potent bat; hitting .443 with five home runs and 23 runs batted. Vinchattle ranks in the top seven in the SLIAC in all three categories and has a hit in 13 of her last 14 games. Michaela Brewer leads the team in runs with 19, hitting .384 while also driving in 14. Kassie Vazquez is the speed threat for Iowa Wesleyan with a team high 10 stolen bases. Summer Johnson also provides some pop for the Tigers, hitting .357 with two home runs while drawing a team high eight walks.

The pitching staff holds a 5.89 earned-run average and is led by Samantha McIlwain. McIlwain has made a team high 10 starts this season, holding a 7-5 record with a 3.67 earned-run average. She is currently second in the SLIAC in strikeouts with 101 this season. Hannah Mixer has taken on the role of the #2 pitcher for the team, throwing 47.1 innings with a 2-5 record.

Westminster College "BLUE JAYS"
Westminster is currently 10-13 overall and 3-3 in the SLIAC as they start the week. The Blue Jays will host Fontbonne in a double header on Wednesday before playing host to the Tigers on Saturday. The Blue Jays are coming off a split double header against MacMurray last Saturday but have won three of their last four games.

The Blue Jays currently rank third in the conference in batting average with a .326 mark and average 5.9 runs per game. They have scored double figures in runs six times this season and lead the league in home runs with 15. A total of seven Blue Jays are hitting above .300 with Erica Burney leading the way with a .522 average. Burney ranks in the top three of the major offensive categories in the league, with a conference high eight home runs. Amber Tepen is hitting .472 and has scored a team high 21 runs while also driving in 21.

Shannon Perrigo has been a force both at the plate and in the circle this season. Perrigo is hitting .382 with three home runs while putting together a 6-5 record as a pitcher with four complete games. The pitching staff is led by Alyson Hahn, who has thrown a team high 76.2 innings and totaled 56 strikeouts.

Game Notes

  • Westminster leads the all-time series against Iowa Wesleyan 4-0.
  • Iowa Wesleyan's Kassie Vazquez has 10 stolen bases on just 19 hits.
  • Erica Burney, the reigning SLIAC Hitter of the Week, set the school record for RBI's in a season last week with 34 on the year.
  • After Saturday Iowa Wesleyan will havea  six game home stand, their last home games of the 2016 season; facing Knox, Eureka, and Webster.
  • Westminster is playing their first home games in nearly a month with their last games on campus coming on March 22.