Green Knights Suffer 1-0 Loss to Illinois Wesleyan In NCAA Tournament

From Sports Information Director, May 7, 2009 | Softball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan University's Christy Engel fired a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts as the host Titans beat St. Norbert College 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament's Bloomington Regional.

The Green Knights (17-18) will face Concordia (Wis.) University (24-22) at 10 a.m. Friday in the losers' bracket in the double-elimination tournament.

Engel and Monica Urban hit back-to-back doubles with one out in the bottom of the third inning for the game's only run. Valerie Hackett was 3-for-3 for the Titans (35-4), who had six total hits.

St. Norbert's best scoring chance came in the fourth inning, when Kim Sawyer and Stephanie Ortiz walked to put runners at first and second with one out - but both runners were stranded. The Green Knights did not get a baserunner in the last three innings.

Kayla Krueger was the hard-luck loser for St. Norbert, allowing six hits with one walk and two strikeouts in six innings.