LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Spalding University softball team improved to 12-22 overall and 7-9 in the SLIAC, taking both games from Iowa Wesleyan, 2-0 and 10-2. The Tigers fell to 14-24, with a 6-10 mark in the conference.
In game one,
Amanda Gilliland led SU at the plate going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Amber Kilburn (4-10) earned the shutout, holding the Tigers to just six hits, while striking out three batters and walking one.
The Golden Eagles got on the scoreboard in the third inning when
Amanda Gilliland singled up the middle scoring
Shelby Kilgore from third, and a Sam Klein sacrifice fly to center scored
Kaylin Rucker for SU's final run of the inning, to give the Golden Eagles a 2-0 ,lead through three innings.
The second game saw
Robyn Schoen (6-10) earn the victory, while Steph Tillman (1-5) was hit with the loss.
Becca Mouser led the way for Spalding, going 3-for-3 with three RBI's and a run, including a home run. Kailyn Rucker showed power, going 2-for-3 with two RBI's and two runs, including two home runs.
Amanda Gilliland went 2-for-4 with two RBI's and a run, including a home run.
Kaylin Rucker and Gilliland put SU on the board in the bottom of the first inning hitting back-to-back solo homeruns to give SU a 2-0 lead.
Amber Kilburn drove in Klein for the final run of the inning. SU extended their lead to five runs in the second. Rucker hit her second homer of the game to make it 4-0, and
Becca Mouser singled to center field scoring Klein. The Golden Eagles extended the margin to 6-0 in the third when Lindsay Hubbard singled up the middle bringing Kilgore across the plate. Iowa Wesleyan cut the margin to four runs in the top of the fourth, but a Mouser two-run shot to left field pushed the lead back to six runs and eventually stretched it to seven when McAfee raced home following a wild pitch. In the bottom of the fifth, Gilliland hit a walk-off RBI single up the middle, making it 10-2 and ending the game.
A decision has yet to be made on Spalding's following game. Check back on spaldingathletics.com or on Twitter @SUsoftball for the latest updates.