McIlwain Sets Tigers Strikeout Mark
Iowa Wesleyan University hosted Webster University in their final games of the season last night. The Tigers were hoping to end the season on a high note, and although IW could not end the season with wins, Samantha McIlwain capped her senior year by breaking the IW career strikeout record. Iowa Wesleyan dropped both games to the Gorloks by scores of 3-1 and 12-0.
The first game of the night proved to be a battle for both teams. The defenses kept each other in check through most of the game. Webster struck first, scoring the first run in the top of the third inning. Iowa Wesleyan was able to bounce back with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up at 1-1. Emmy Rodriguez singled up the middle to bring home McKenzie Copher for the tying run.
The defenses settled in once again, and neither team would score for four innings of play. A scoreless seventh inning forced extra innings. Samantha McIlwain struck out the first batter of the inning to record strikeout number 451 for her career at Iowa Wesleyan. Webster would go ahead on the next batter, scoring a run on a double. They would add another run in the inning to take a 3-1 lead over the Tiger. Iowa Wesleyan tried to answer in the bottom of the eighth, but they stranded two baserunners to come up short.
IW was held to just three hits in the opening game, with Emmy Rodriguez recording the lone RBI for the Tigers.
Iowa Wesleyan fell behind in the early innings of the second game. After a scoreless first inning for both teams, the Gorloks plated five runs in the top of the second to go in front. The Tigers could not get the bats going for much of the second game. They were held to three hits for the second game in a row.
Webster would add runs in the third, fourth, and sixth inning to take a 12-0 lead over the Tigers. Julie Dodd led the Tiger after going 2-3 at the plate. Alex Eyman had the other hit for the Iowa Wesleyan offense.
The Tigers ended the season with an overall record of 7-27 and finished 5-13 in conference play. The weather this spring caused the team to cancel six games and compress a lot of games in a short period of time. Samantha McIlwain finished the season second on the SLIAC leaderboards with 93 strikeouts on the season.
STORY COURTESY OF IOWA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
