GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Davenport saw their comeback from a four-run deficit Tuesday afternoon fall short against Indiana Wesleyan in the NAIA Opening Round elimination game. The Wildcats used the home run ball to take a 4-0 lead heading into the final at bat for DU, and held off a two-out rally from the Panthers to take the game, 4-1.

The teams saw a pitcher's duel early as the only run through five innings was a home run from the Wildcats as Kaisey Carson knocked a solo home run to left field in the third inning. Haley Nixon (18-9) would help keep the Panthers in check from the circle for Indiana Wesleyan as she tossed a complete game with two strikeouts to take the win. Mallory Teunissen (16-6) threw a complete game for the Panthers with four strikeouts and three earned runs allowed. The Wildcats added to their lead over DU as three Panther errors in the sixth allowed IWU to advance their lead to 2-0. Alex Springer provided IWU with two insurance runs in the seventh as she hit a towering two-run home run over the scoreboard and the Wildcats led, 4-0.

The Panthers saw some two-out magic in their final at bat as Aby Brambila hit a double down the left field line that drove in the first run of the game for DU as a part of her 3-for-3 game at the plate. The Panthers could not push another run across the plate and fell to the Wildcats, ending their 2016 season at a 39-12 overall record. Indiana Wesleyan (43-17) advanced to take on Olivet Nazarene at 6 p.m. at Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex with the winner of the contest seeing a championship game birth against Southeastern University (Fla.).