Carthage 5, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0
Simpson 7, Carthage 1

The Carthage College softball team (1-1, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) opened its 2011 season on Sunday, March 13 with a split doubleheader against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College and Simpson College. Carthage blanked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (13-3), 5-0, before falling to Simpson (7-4) by a 7-1 margin 

The twinbill opened a 10-game trip to the “Florida Rebel Games” in Kissimmee, Fla.  On Monday, March 14, Carthage plays Anderson University (1 p.m.) and Ramapo College (5 p.m.).  On Wednesday, March 16, the Lady Reds face Westminster College (Pa., 9 a.m.) and Montclair State University (1 p.m.).  On Thursday, March 17, Carthage takes on Rutgers-Camden (1 p.m.) and Utica College (3 p.m.).  The trip concludes on Friday, March 18 with games against Wisconsin-River Falls (9 a.m.) and Rowan University (11 a.m.).

 

In the win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the Lady Reds scored twice in the second inning on a two-run double by Alyssa Robison. Carthage added two more runs in the fourth when Bryanna Heckel (Fr., Kenosha, Wis./Salem-Westosha Central) connected on a two-run homer. The Lady Reds closed out the scoring in the fifth on an RBI-grounder by Sarah McGinn. Vicki Pyan (Fr., Crystal Lake, Ill./South) went four-for-four, while Alyssa Robison (Fr., Medinah, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park) had two hits in three trips with two RBI. Krystina Leazer (So., Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove, 1-0) was the winning pitcher. Leazer shut out the Athenas on two hits and two walks over seven innings, while striking out six batters.

 

In the loss to Simpson, the Storm pounded out 12 hits off two Lady Reds pitchers. Keri Sorenson went three-for-five with two RBI for Simpson. Alyssa Schrader (Jr. Plainfield, Ill./South, 0-1) took the loss. She allowed seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits and three walks over six innings. Tricia O'Keefe worked the final inning.