Carthage 4, North Park 0
Carthage 5, North Park 1

The Carthage College softball team (9-9, 2-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) opened its CCIW-schedule on Saturday, April 2 by sweeping a doubleheader from North Park University (9-5, 0-2 CCIW), 4-0 and 5-1, at the Carthage Softball Field in Kenosha, Wis.

In the first game, Carthage pitcher Krystina Leazer (So., Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove, 8-3) shut out the Vikings on six hits and no walks over seven innings, while striking out 12 batters. Casey Latal (3-2) took the loss. Carthage scored a single run in the third inning and three more in the fourth. Bryanna Heckel (Fr., Kenosha, Wis./Salem-Westosha Central), who went two-for-three, hit a solo home run in the third, and Michelle Braun (Jr., Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) hit a two-run single in the fourth.

In the nightcap, the Lady Reds overcame an early 1-0 deficit with a three-run fourth inning. Alyse Mikolas had the big hit in the fourth with a two-run double. Carthage added two more runs in the sixth. Alyssa Schrader (Jr., Plainfield, Ill./South) went two-for-two. Pitcher Alyssa Sirocchi (Fr., Oak Creek, Wis.) started the game and worked into the fourth inning. Leazer (9-3) blanked North Park on no hits and two walks over the final four innings to pick up the win. Kate Seebacher (3-3) took the loss.

Carthage plays host to conference-opponent Wheaton College (Ill.) on Wednesday, April 6 in a 3 p.m. twinbill, also at the Carthage Softball Field.