On Thursday, March 23 the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team swept Monmouth College as they only let up one run in two games.
The Titans started off the evening hot as senior pitcher Nina Mardjetko threw a complete game shutout while striking out a career-high nine batters.
Not letting Mardjetko have all the fun, senior outfielder Madison Moore laced a double to put the Titans on the board and take the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Moore ended the game hitting 3-4 with an RBI and a run.
“From the first inning, it felt like our team as a whole was seeing the ball well and putting good swings on good pitches,” Moore said. “It created a very contagious energy that put me in a really great headspace for each of my at-bats.”
A 4-0 victory in the first of the doubleheader set the scene for senior pitcher Natalie Grubczak to have the performance to garner CCIW Pitcher of The Week.
Even before the senior took the circle, the Titans offense spotted her with a run by a sac fly from junior Megan Fontenneta.
Once Grubczak took the ball, she mowed down the Monmouth College lineup retiring 12 straight before a walk broke up her perfect game.
“I didn’t even realize it until about the third inning and I’m thinking oh shoot, no one has hit anything yet,” Grubczak said. “As soon as I thought about it I immediately tried to erase it from my thoughts since I am extremely superstitious.”
Grubczak had two strikeouts through five innings, allowing zero hits and throwing her first career no-hitter.
“When I see my pitcher working tirelessly to take care of business in the circle it motivates us as hitters to want to have their backs offensively and do whatever we can to score more runs to support them,” Moore said.
And that they did. Moore’s two-RBI triple allowed the Titans to score three runs in the second inning going up 4-0 and putting Grubczak in cruise control.
A solo homer in the third inning from sophomore Ava Khoury extended the Titan lead to five. Khoury’s no-doubter to center is her fourth home run of the year.
After five innings of play, the game was called short due to darkness giving the Titans the sweep.
A total of eight different Titans recorded a hit on the day, while three recorded two-hit games. Moore capped her night off by going 5-7 on the plate while also bringing in three runners and scoring three of her own.
“The trust that I have in my coaches and my teammates is what ultimately gave me the confidence to be able to be fearless in the batter’s box,” Moore said. “It was really fun and exciting to see everyone on the team contributing to the success we had overall that day.”
A two-pitcher day is one to celebrate as the senior pitchers combined for 12 innings pitched, 11 strikeouts, seven walks and zero earned runs.
The IWU softball tournament will serve as the home opener at Inspiration field on Saturday, April 1 when they host Wartburg College for a doubleheader.
“I believe we are meeting that challenge in the level of play that we are at and I am really excited to continue that and get after it this weekend,” Moore said. “In addition, this tournament is supporting the Jan Gentry Memorial Scholarship fund, a really great cause, so I hope everyone can come out and show their support.”