Illinois Wesleyan 2008 Softball Stories

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Illinois Wesleyan 2008 Softball Preseason Information

May 16
Illinois Wesleyan University has removed the interim designation and named Steve King head coach of its softball team, IWU athletic director Dennie Bridges announced today.
Under King’s direction in 2008, the Titans won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season championship with a 12-2 record and finished with a 30-11 overall record and an appearance in the NCAA Division III regional at Eau Claire, Wis.

May 11
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore pitcher Christy Engel (St. Charles, North HS) was selected to the all-tournament team of the NCAA Division III softball regional last weekend in Eau Claire, Wis. She was 1-2, pitching every inning for the Titans in the tourney, and had a 0.72 earned run average, allowing only two earned runs in 19 1/3 innings. She struck out 20 and was IWU's lone representative on the all-regional tourney team. No. 6-seed Wisconsin-Eau Claire was the winner of the regional after a 6-0 win over No. 2-seed Wisconsin-Oshkosh and advance to the NCAA Division III Championship in Salem, Va.

May 10
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team was eliminated from the NCAA Division III softball regional, losing a 1-0 decision to Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday, May 10 in Eau Claire, Wis. The Titans’ season ends 30-11 as sophomore Christy Engel (18-6) pitched a two-hitter and struck out 10 but a fifth inning home run by Ashley Steltenpohl was the lone run in the game. IWU managed only four singles in the game, two from junior centerfielder Monica Urban and two from senior second baseman Ashley Deck.

May 9
Illinois Wesleyan scored two runs in the first inning with the help of three errors and went on to a 3-0 win over Ripon in the NCAA Division III regional tournament in Eau Claire, Wis., on Friday, May 9. Sophomore pitcher Christy Engel allowed two hits and struck out five in improving to 18-5 as the Titans are now 30-10. Junior outfielder Monica Urban, senior outfielder Kayla Kindred, junior Natalie Chase and senior second baseman Ashley Deck accounted for the four IWU hits, all singles. IWU will play at noon (revised time) on Saturday, May 10 against Wisconsin-Oshkosh (29-10), who lost a 2-0 decision to Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

May 8
A bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the seventh spelled defeat for the Illinois Wesleyan softball team in the first round of the NCAA Division III Regional tournament in Eau Claire, Wis., on Thursday, May 8. Simpson (now 29-10) managed only three hits against the Titans (also 29-10) and sophomore Christy Engel, who struck out five and walked four in 6 1/3 innings. Engel's record is now 17-5. Junior Val Hackett had two of the Titans' five hits while senior Kayla Kindred, junior Monica Urban and sophomore Allison Ward had the others. Wesleyan now plays Ripon at noon on Friday, May 9 in the second round. Ripon (20-13) was defeated by top seed St. Thomas (Minn.) by an 8-0 score in a game halted in the sixth inning.

May 6
Illinois Wesleyan junior outfielder Monica Urban and sophomore pitcher Christy Engel were chosen to the first team of the all-Great Lakes region as the 2008 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III all-region softball squads were announced Tues., May 6 by the NFCA. Sophomore shortstop Allison Ward and senior second baseman Ashley Deck were named to the second and third teams, respectively. Urban leads the team heading into regional play with a .478 average, an IWU single season record topping the old mark of .475 set by Brynn Hasse in 2004. Urban also has 19 stolen bases this year and 65 (of 70) in her career. Engel is 17-4 with a 1.42 earned run average and has 132 strikeouts in 148 innings. Her 17 wins is tied for fourth most in an IWU season. After two seasons she is 11th at IWU with 25 wins and fourth with 211 career strikeouts. Ward is hitting .365 with nine doubles, four home runs and is second on the team with 28 RBI. Deck is hitting .388, second on the team, with nine doubles, a team-high four triples and two home runs with 27 RBI. She is IWU's all-time leader in hits (201), doubles (41), and total bases (292). IWU (29-9) plays Simpson at 2 p.m. on Thurs., May 8 in the first round of the NCAA Division III regional tournament in Eau Claire, Wis.

May 5
Illinois Wesleyan sophomores Christy Engel and league batting champion Allison Ward have been named softball pitcher and player of the year, respectively, in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Both were also named to the first team of the all-league squads along with senior catcher Kelly Nelson and junior outfielder Monica Urban. Chosen to the second team were junior pitcher Val Hackett, junior outfielder Natalie Chase and senior second baseman Ashley Deck.
Go here for CCIW all-conference teams.
The 23rd-ranked Titans (29-9 and regular season champions of the CCIW) have been chosen to play in the NCAA Division III regional in Eau Claire, Wis., and will open against Simpson (28-10) at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 8. It is the second straight year and the eighth time overall for IWU to be in the national tournament.

May 2
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team lost both games on Friday, May 2, and is eliminated from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament at IWU Field. The Titans (29-9) lost to Augustana by a 4-2 margin, then fell to Carthage, 5-0. Wesleyan led game one, 2-0, before the Vikings tied it with a home run in the fifth and plated two more runs on two hits and a walk in the seventh. Junior Monica Urban and sophomore Lisa Narotsky each had two hits and sophomore Christy Engel (17-4) got the loss in striking out eight and allowing eight hits. Game two saw Carthage score four runs in the first inning with three coming on a home run from Jacqelyn Tassone. Wesleyan managed only five hits, two from senior Kendahl McIntyre, and sophomore Valerie Hackett took the pitching loss.

April 29
Illinois Wesleyan junior Sarah Carlson led off the game with a solo home run and the Titans went on to a 6-0 win over Eureka on “Seniors’ Night” at IWU Field on Tuesday, April 29. The Titans, ranked No. 19 in the Division III national poll, improved to 29-7 and the Red Devils fell to 15-16. Junior Natalie Chase contributed two hits and three runs batted in while sophomores Lisa Narotsky and Allison Ward and Kelly Nelson also had two of IWU’s nine hits. Sophomore starter Christy Engel improved to 17-3 as she threw the first four innings, allowing two hits and striking out five, while junior Kara Krause was perfect in three innings of relief with one strikeout. Nelson, Ashley Deck, Kendahl McIntyre and Kayla Kindred were all honored as seniors. The Titans host Augustana at 2 p.m. Friday, May 2 in the first day of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament.

April 27
The No. 19-ranked Illinois Wesleyan softball team improved to 28-7 with a home doubleheader sweep of Webster, 7-1 and 9-1, on Sunday, April 27. In the first game, sophomore shortstop Allison Ward smacked a two-run home run in the fifth inning and Christy Engel improved to 16-3, allowing four hits and striking out seven in the complete game. Ward also had one of three Titan round-trippers in the nightcap, along with senior Kelly Nelson (a three-run shot) and junior Katie Windsor. Nelson and Windsor were pinch-hitters in a seven-run fifth inning. Val Hackett (9-4) struck out seven in five innings. Also in the second game, senior Ashley Deck collected her 199th career hit, making her the all-time leader at IWU and passing the old mark of 198 set by Molly Coers (2004-07). Wesleyan’s “Seniors’ Night” will be on Tuesday, April 29, with a 7 p.m. game against Eureka.

April 22
For the second time in four weeks, Illinois Wesleyan sophomore shortstop Allison Ward has been named College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin “Player of the Week” for softball on April 22. Ward hit .360 (9-for-25) as the Titans were 6-2 overall and 5-1 in CCIW games last week en route to clinching the conference championship for the second straight season. Ward had a .600 slugging percentage with four doubles, a triple and drove home eight runs with four two-hit games. She was four-for-six with three RBI in a doubleheader win over Wheaton on April 19 and was three-for-seven with three RBI in a split against North Central on April 17. She also had two hits in the first game of a doubleheader against Wisconsin-Whitewater.

April 20
For the second straight year, Illinois Wesleyan has won the regular season softball championship of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Titans (26-7 overall) won twice at Elmhurst on Sunday, April 20 by scores of 2-1 and 10-5 to finish 12-2 in the CCIW while all other teams have at least three losses. As a result, the No. 25-nationally ranked Titans will host the CCIW tournament on May 2-3. In game one, sophomore Lisa Narotsky drove home the winning run in the top of the seventh as IWU was limited to four hits. Sophomore Christy Engel (15-3) struck out four and allowed six hits in the complete game. Narotsky stayed hot in the nightcap, getting three hits with a homer and driving in three runs. Junior Val Hackett (8-4) got the pitching victory and helped her own cause with two doubles and two runs batted in. Wesleyan's next games will be against Webster on Sunday, April 27 on IWU's "Student Athlete Recognition Day."

April 19
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team won games by scores of 5-3 and 5-4 at Wheaton on Saturday, April 19. The wins improve the Titans’ record to 24-7 overall and 10-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Thunder fell to 15-17 overall and 1-7 in the league. In the opener, sophomore Christy Engel improved to 14-3 as she struck out 10 in a complete game and got offensive support from two hit games out of Monica Urban, Kayla Kindred, Natalie Chase and Allison Ward while Ashley Deck drove home two runs. In the nightcap, Ward had a bases-loaded double in the fourth inning and Val Hackett (7-4) picked up the pitching win in relief of Engel. The No. 25-nationally rankedTitans play a doubleheader at Elmhurst on Sunday, April 20.

April 17
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team split a doubleheader at North Central in Naperville on Thursday, April 17, winning the first game in nine innings, 4-3, before losing, 5-2, in the nightcap. In game one, senior third baseman Kendahl McIntyre led off the ninth with a triple and came home on a Kayla Kindred base hit for the winning run. Sophomore Christy Engel went the distance in the circle, allowing six hits and striking out four, and sophomore shortstop Allison Ward had a bases-loaded triple for three RBI. Ward, McIntyre and senior Kelly Nelson each had two hits for Wesleyan in the second game. The Titans are 22-7 overall and 8-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Cardinals are 19-7 overall and 7-3 in the league. IWU has CCIW doubleheaders at Wheaton and Elmhurst this weekend.

April 15
After pounding out 10 hits in winning the first game, 8-1, the Illinois Wesleyan softball team was limited to five hits and lost the second game, 9-1, to Wisconsin-Whitewater at IWU Field on Tuesday, April 15. In the opener, the Titans (now 21-6) scored seven runs in the first two innings to stake sophomore Christy Engel (12-3) to a win. Engel allowed four hits and fanned four. Junior Val Hackett's second inning three-run homer made her IWU's career leader with 15, topping the record of 14 (Sara Powers, 1998-01). Freshman catcher Jordan Menendez drove home two runs. The Warhawks (16-4) had four home runs in the second game and IWU's only run came on senior Kelly Nelson's yard work (solo shot) in the sixth inning. IWU begins a stretch of six straight conference games beginning with a 3 p.m. twinbill at North Central on Thursday, April 17.

April 12
For the 15th straight year, the Illinois Wesleyan softball team has 20 victories after a 5-2 home field decision over Hope on Saturday, April 12. Sophomore Christy Engel (11-3) was the winning pitcher, striking out six in a complete game seven-hitter. Seven Titans had one hit and senior Ashley Deck (triple) and sophomore Lisa Narotsky (double) had extra base hits. Junior leftfielder Natalie Chase had a run-producing single as the Titans improved to 20-5 overall in their lone game of the day in the weather-shortened tournament. IWU and Washington U. were going to attempt a doubleheader on Sunday, April 13, but will try to reschedule for a later date.

April 11
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team split a pair of games in its own tournament on Friday, April 11, losing to Hope, 2-0, then defeating Calvin, 9-1. In the win, IWU improved to 19-5 as sophomore Lisa Narotsky pitched five innings and allowed five hits while helping her own cause with two doubles and a run batted in. Junior Monica Urban and senior Kayla Kindred each had two hits and Val Hackett and Maggie OIson both knocked home two runs. Hackett and senior Kelly Nelson each had two hits in the first game as sophomore Christy Engel (10-3) allowed only one earned run and struck out eight in a four-hitter. Weather permitting on Saturday, April 12, IWU is scheduled to play Calvin at noon and Hope at 2 p.m.

April 9
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team won the first game, 5-1, but lost the nightcap, 7-6, at Augustana on Wednesday, April 9. IWU (18-4, 7-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) scored four times in the sixth and once in the seventh to take game one and support the two-hit pitching of Christy Engel, who struck out seven. Senior Kayla Kindred had three hits and delivered a two-run single in the sixth. Natalie Chase, Allison Ward and Val Hackett each had two hits in an 11-hit attack. Augustana plated three runs in the top of the seventh in the nightcap. The Titans got 13 hits with three from Monica Urban while Ward, Hackett, and Lisa Narotsky all had two hits. In relief of Hackett, Engel (10-2) was touched for the loss as she allowed five runs (two earned) in four innings. IWU is scheduled to host Hope (3 p.m.) and Calvin (7 p.m.) on Friday, April 11.

April 8
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Christy Engel has been named “Pitcher of the Week” for softball in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin on April 8. Engel (St. Charles, Ill., North HS) was 3-1 with a 0.28 earned run average in five appearances last week. She struck out six and allowed two hits in an 8-0 win over North Park. She struck out five and allowed six hits in a 4-1 win over Carthage and fanned seven in a five-inning two-hitter against the University of Chicago in an 8-0 win. In her only loss (1-0) to No. 3 ranked DePauw, she allowed four hits and an unearned run in six innings. Opponents batted .159 against her in 24 2/3 innings. IWU (17-3 overall, 6-0 and first place in the CCIW) plays next at Augustana on Wednesday, April 9 at 4 p.m.

April 6
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team's offense erupted for 21 hits in two 8-0 wins over the University of Chicago on Sunday, April 6 at IWU Field. Both games were shortened to five innings by the eight-run rule. In game one, sophomore Christy Engel struck out seven and allowed two hits while senior Ashley Deck had three hits (two doubles) and three RBI and sophomore Lisa Narotsky, senior Kelly Nelson and junior Natalie Chase each had two hits. Sophomore Allison Ward and Nelson connected for home runs. Junior Val Hackett had three hits, blasting two home runs with four RBI and struck out six batters in four innings as the winning pitcher in game two. Chase and Deck added two more hits each and junior Katie Windsor knocked home a pair of runs with a base hit. The Titans improved to 17-3 overall and the Maroons fell to 7-9. IWU plays next at Augustana on Wednesday, April 9 at 4 p.m.

April 5
Illinois Wesleyan junior Val Hackett threw a five-inning no-hitter in an 8-0 win over Carthage in the second game of a doubleheader sweep at IWU Field on Saturday, April 5. The Titans had 10 hits, including two from Monica Urban and Allison Ward while Lisa Narotsky drove home a pair of runs. In game one, IWU won 4-1 with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Home runs by Ashley Deck (a two-run shot) and Hackett were the deciding blows. Christy Engel (8-1) was the winning pitcher as she struck out five and scattered six hits. The Titans improved to 15-3 overall and 6-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Lady Reds fell to 6-5 overall and 0-2 in the league. The Titans host Chicago at 1 p.m. for a pair of games on Sunday, April 6.

April 3
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team took a pair of games from North Park on Thursday, April 3 at IWU Field. The Titans improved to 13-3 overall and 4-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with wins by scores of 8-0 and 6-2. In game one, sophomore Christy Engel allowed only two hits and struck out six in five innings and sophomore shortstop Allison Ward had three hits including a home run to leftcenter field. Natalie Chase and junior Val Hackett had two runs batted in. In game two, Hackett pitched a no-hitter for 6 1/3 innings, finishing with a four-hitter and 14 strikeouts. Senior second baseman Ashley Deck smacked a three-run home run and she and Monica Urban each had two of IWU's eight hits against the Vikings (8-8, 1-3 CCIW). The Titans host Carthage for a CCIW pair on Saturday, then host the University of Chicago for two games Sunday.

April 1
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore shortstop Allison Ward was named College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin “Player of the Week” in softball on April 1 after her performance during the previous week of competition. Ward was six-for-nine (.667) with two doubles and a .889 slugging percentage in four Illinois Wesleyan wins last week. In a doubleheader sweep of Millikin, Ward was four-for-five with a run and two RBI. She was two-for-four with two RBI and drew three walks in a pair of wins against Monmouth. She also handled 18-of-19 fielding chances for a .947 average. Wheaton’s Kim Hegna was the CCIW “Pitcher of the Week.”

March 28
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team improved to 11-1 overall and has won 10 games in a row after a pair of nonconference wins against Monmouth on Friday, March 28. The Titans won the first game, 9-1, and took the nightcap, 4-2. Junior Monica Urban had three hits and scored three runs and senior Ashley Deck had two hits and knocked in three runs in the first game. Sophomore shortstop Allison Ward also had two RBI as sophomore Christy Engel (6-0) allowed seven hits in six innings. In game two, junior pitcher Val Hackett improved to 3-1 as she struck out nine and allowed two hits in seven innings and also had two base hits and a run batted in. The Titans play next at DePauw on Tuesday, April 1.

March 26
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team opened defense of its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship with a pair of shutout wins over Millikin. The Titans improved to 9-1 in winning the games by 4-0 and 12-0 scores. Sophomore Christy Engel scattered seven hits and struck out six in the opener as Kendahl McIntyre and Allison Ward each got two hits. Ward, Kelly Nelson, Maggie Olson and Natalie Chase each got two hits in the second game and Chase had four runs batted in. Val Hackett allowed two hits and struck out six in four innings to earn the pitching victory. The Titans host Monmouth on Friday, March 28, at 4 p.m.

March 25
Illinois Wesleyan senior second baseman Ashley Deck has been named College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin softball “Player of the Week” on March 25 after her performance during the previous week of competition. Deck (Bolingbrook HS) batted .684 with two doubles, a triple and four RBI in six Titan victories at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. Deck also walked twice, stole a base and scored a team-high eight runs. She had three-hit games against Endicott, Clarke and Framingham State and tallied two more hits against Allegheny. Her slugging percentage was .895 and she had a .714 on-base percentage.

March 19
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team has won four in a row after a pair of victories on Wednesday, March 19 at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla, The Titans improved to 5-1 this season with wins over Allegheny, 9-5, and Clarke, 5-1. IWU’s scheduled games on Thursday, March 20, have been rained out. Wesleyan was to have played St. Benedict and Mount St. Joseph. In the win over Allegheny, IWU had 14 hits as junior Monica Urban (Wheaton, North HS) and sophomore Val Hackett (New Lenox, Lincoln-Way Central HS) each had three while Hackett and sophomore Lisa Narotsky (Willowbrook, Hinsdale South) each drove in two runs. Sophomore Christy Engel (St. Charles, North HS) picked up the win as she allowed three earned runs, seven hits, four strikeouts and four walks. In the win over Clarke, Urban added three more hits in the nightcap, while senior Ashley Deck (Bolingbrook HS) had a double, triple and two RBIs. Hackett (1-1) picked up the mound decision as she surrendered one run on five hits with six strikeouts.

March 17
Freshman pitcher Lauren James made a terrific college debut, throwing a no-hitter in the Titans’ 6-0 win over Staten Island on Monday, March 17 in the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. James (Darien, Montini Catholic HS) walked only one and struck out six, getting offensive help from senior catcher Kelly Nelson (Palos Heights, Stagg HS), who doubled and drove in three runs. Freshman Jordan Menendez (Bloomington, Normal Community HS) added two hits for the Titans, while sophomore Allison Ward (Bloomington, Normal Community HS) had a sacrifice fly. The Titans also earned a 6-0 win over Endicott in the second game of the day as sophomore Christy Engel (St. Charles, North HS) scattered six hits and struck out six in a complete game win. Illinois Wesleyan led 2-0 after four innings before Nelson hit a two-run home run in a four-run fifth. Ashley Deck (Bolingbrook HS) and Val Hackett (New Lenox, Lincoln-Way Central HS) added three hits apiece for the Titans (3-1) while Monica Urban (Wheaton, North HS) had two hits. Hackett also had three RBI for the Titans.

March 16
The Illinois Wesleyan softball team split its first two games at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday, March 16. The Titans opened with a 9-3 win over St. Norbert before losing to Western Connecticut, 3-1. Sophomore Christy Engel scattered six hits in picking up the pitching win in game one and got offensive support from junior Monica Urban and senior Ashley Deck, each with three hits, and Val Hackett had two hits and drove home three runs. Deck also had two RBI. Urban went four-for-four with a stolen base in the nightcap and scored the Titans' lone run. Hackett allowed eight hits in taking the loss on the mound.

February 6
Defending conference champion Illinois Wesleyan has been chosen second in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin annual preseason softball coaches’ poll. The Titans, who were 32-14 overall and 13-1 in the league in 2007, received 44 points and three first place votes and trail only Augustana, who got 46 points and four first place votes. IWU, led by the .405 average of second baseman Ashley Deck (Bolingbrook, Ill., HS), advanced to the NCAA regional last year as did Augustana (30-14, 11-3 CCIW), who earned the CCIW automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. North Central, Carthage, Elmhurst, Wheaton, Millikin and North Park rounded out the poll in order. Each coach votes for the seven other schools in the conference in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (seven points for first, six for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own team.

July 26
Athletic Director Dennie Bridges has announced that the softball coach for Illinois Wesleyan's 2008 season will be the current hitting coach, Steve King. This will be a one-year role as the University conducts a search to fill a new full-time faculty position as softball coach beginning in 2009. King is a 1984 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan, a former stand-out baseball player at IWU and an Amateur Softball Association All-American player. He is employed at State Farm as a manager in the System Department. Former Coach Lloyd Hulit recently announced he would not seek the faculty role or return as coach next year. The 2007 assistant coaches will return: Maxine Quackenbush, Lyle Day and Carla Fritz.The Lady Titans are coming off a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship season and a trip to the NCAA regional.

July 17
As a result of personal considerations and a decision to hire a full-time faculty member in the Illinois Wesleyan athletic department in 2008-09, Lloyd Hulit has announced he will not return as the Titans’ softball coach for the 2008 season. The person hired for the full-time teaching position will serve as head softball coach, which brings the sport to the same staffing level of other team sports. Given the success of his first two seasons, Hulit, who has coached the IWU team on a non-faculty basis, told athletic director Dennie Bridges he would like to bow out on a high note and is not interested in a full-time faculty position. In addition, Hulit recently underwent knee replacement surgery and will have an extensive rehabilitation period. He indicated he also looked forward to being more involved with his grandchildren. Bridges said an interim coach will be hired for this season with a national search to be undertaken next year to fill the faculty and coaching position. Hulit’s two-year record was 64-26 (25-3 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin record) with one league title and an NCAA Division III tournament appearance, the first for IWU since 2003.