Game #1 Box Score
Game #2 Box Score

The Carthage College softball team (15-8, 7-3 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) swept a Tuesday, April 20 doubleheader from CCIW-opponent North Central College (24-8, 6-4 CCIW), 2-1 in eight innings and 11-3 in six innings, at the Carthage Softball Field in Kenosha, Wis. The two wins left the Lady Reds in first place in the league. Illinois Wesleyan University (21-11, 7-5 CCIW), Elmhurst College (19-11, 6-4) and North Central trail Carthage in the standings.

In the opening game, North Central took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on an RBI-single by Kara Reid. Carthage tied the game in the sixth on a leadoff home run by Stephanie Noel. In the eighth, Noel led off with a double and scored the winning run on a single by Alyssa Schrader. Lady Reds pitcher Kelsey Epping (10-2) limited the Cardinals to one run on four hits and three walks, while striking out nine batters. Noel went four-for-four with a double and a home run.

In the nightcap, Carthage jumped on North Central starting pitcher Lyndsey Payne for six runs in the first inning. Stephanie Noel hit a two-run homer. Jenny Burke doubled in a run. Jacquelyn Tassone singled in a run. Katie Paulmeyer hit an RBI-double, and Stephanie Schafer drove in the sixth run with an infield out. The Lady Reds went up, 8-0, in the third in a two-run double by Kari Peterson. The Cardinals came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 8-2. Carthage made it a 9-2 game in the fourth when noel scored on a wild pitch. North Central made it 9-3 in the fifth, but the Lady Reds scored twice in the sixth on back-to-back home runs by Noel and Alyssa Schrader to take an 11-3 lead, and the game was called due to an eight-run rule.

Noel went three-for-three in the second game with four runs scored, two home runs and three RBI. Alyssa Schrader went three-for-four with her seventh home run of the year. Pitcher Krystina Leazer (5-2) stopped North Central on three runs on nine hits and no walks. Lyndsey Payne (8-3), the first of three Cardinals hurlers, took the loss. Carthage travels to Waukesha, Wis., on Thursday, April 22 to play non-conference opponent Carroll University in a 3 p.m. twinbill at Kilgour Field.