Game Two Recap
LONE RUN GOOD ENOUGH FOR SIMPSON VICTORY
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Simpson College (Iowa) managed to do just enough to get the victory in the second game of the NCAA Division III Softball Regional Championship in Eau Claire, winning 1-0 over Illinois Wesleyan today.
Both teams are now 29-10 on the season and ranked in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll. The Simpson College Storm are 21st in the poll, while the Illinois Wesleyan Titans are 23rd.
Simpson’s Calie Hohneke picked up the win today, pitching all seven innings. She faced 24 batters in game, striking out five and allowing five hits. Hohneke improves to 15-5 on the year, while her counterpart, Christy Engel dropped to 17-5. Engel threw to 21 batters, allowing three hits and striking out five.
It was not until the seventh inning when the game saw scoring. Simpson loaded the bases twice and was able to capitalize in the process. After a play was made at home the first time the bases were loaded, Illinois Wesleyan was one out away from sending it into extra innings. However, the next batter, Chelsey Benoit, reached on a walk while the bases were loaded to give the Storm the winning run.
Illinois Wesleyan will now play Ripon College, the loser of the regional’s first game, at noon on Friday. Simpson College will take on the University of St. Thomas in a Friday matchup at 4 p.m.
