Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – In a crucial College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin softball showdown that featured two teams ranked in the top 20 in the latest NCAA polls, Augustana dropped a pair of games to Illinois Wesleyan on Friday, April 18 at Carver Field. The Vikings lost a 4-1 heartbreaker in 12 innings in the first game to the Titans before falling 5-1 in game two.
 
Augustana, ranked 19^th in NCAA Division III prior to the game, is now 25-9 overall and 6-4 in the CCIW while Illinois Wesleyan, 17^th in the latest ranking, is 26-5 and 8-2. The Vikings will host Elmhurst on Saturday, April 19 at Carver Field.
 
GAME 1: Illinois Wesleyan 4, Augustana 1 (12 innings)
 
The visiting Titans put three runs on the board in the top of the 12^th inning off Augustana reliever Ashley Anderson (Sherrard HS, Viola, Ill.) and posted a 4-1 victory. Anderson came on in relief of starter Sarah Hintz (LeRoy HS, LeRoy, Ill.) to start the 11^th inning and allowed three runs, two of them unearned, in her second inning of work to get tagged with the loss.
 
Hintz was the hard-luck starter as she was superb over 10 innings before leaving with no-decision. She struck out six, walked two and gave up four hits while yielding one unearned run in the top of the third.
 
She was matched nearly pitch-for-pitch by Illinois Wesleyan starter Molly McCready who worked 11 innings and was touched for just one run on four hits while notching 14 strike outs. She did walk 11 batters, however and the Vikings stranded 14 base runners in the game.
 
The Titans picked up an unearned run in the third to take a 1-0 lead but Augustana tied it on a solo home run off the bat of senior Jaime Rehmert (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) in the bottom of the fourth. The game stayed tied 1-1 until Illinois Wesleyan put up its three-spot in the top of the 12^th.
 
Augustana had a chance to take the lead in the eighth when Rehmert led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Cassie Saufley (Normal West HS, Hudson, Ill.). Saufley went to second on a one-out walk to junior Christie Wiersema (Morrison HS, Morrison, Ill.) and with two outs, was cut down trying to score on a single to right by junior Christina Pagan (Normal West HS, Normal, Ill.).
 
Rehmert had two of the Vikings' four hits in the game and also drew a pair of walks.
 
GAME 2: Illinois Wesleyan 5, Augustana 1
 
The Vikings, the visitor in the second game of this conference twin-bill, took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Rehmert singled down the right field line and eventually came home on a ground out to the right side by Wiersema.
 
Illinois Wesleyan scored two runs in the bottom of the third and then added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth to put the game out of reach.
 
Anderson gave up five runs, two of them unearned, while striking out four and walking nobody. She absorbed the loss to fall to 10-6 on the year.
 
Rehmert had two hits to lead the Augustana attack.