Green Knights Drop NCAA Tournament Opener at Illinois Wesleyan

From Sports Information Director, May 10, 2012 | Softball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - St. Norbert College lost its opening game in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional with a 4-1 loss to Illinois Wesleyan University at IWU Field.

The Green Knights (17-19) will face Fontbonne University (27-11) in an elimination game at 10 a.m. Friday. Illinois Wesleyan (37-6), ranked No. 9 in the latest NCAA Division III Top 25, will play UW-Eau Claire.

St. Norbert took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Samantha Gross singled with one out, and after a second out she advanced to second on a passed ball. Abby Gildernick then doubled in Gross.

The Titans answered with a run in the second, and then pulled ahead on an error in the fifth. Illinois Wesleyan scored two runs on one hit and two St. Norbert errors in the sixth to take a 4-1 lead and put the game away.

The Green Knights left nine runners on base, including two each in the second, fifth and sixth innings.

Steph Brunette went 3-for-4 for St. Norbert, while Gildernick was 2-for-2 with a walk. Shannen Schmidt took the loss, allowing seven hits, one earned run and four walks with two strikeouts.