Carthage 1, North Central 0
Carthage 2, North Central 0
The Carthage College softball team (19-13, 9-3 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) needed just three runs to sweep a doubleheader from CCIW-opponent North Central College (19-11, 5-5 CCIW), 1-0 and 2-0, on Friday, April 29 at the Shanower Family Softball Field in Naperville, Ill.
The sweep left Carthage right behind first-place Millikin University (21-11, 9-1 CCIW). The Big Blue have a doubleheader remaining at Wheaton College (Ill.) on Saturday, April 30 and a home twinbill versus North Central on Sunday, May 1. The Lady Reds have clinched at least a second-place finish in the league.
Carthage took a 1-0 lead in the third inning of the opener when Jen Precht tripled and scored on an infield error by Cardinals first baseman Alyssa Rabulinski. That margin held up, although North Central made things interesting in the seventh inning. The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out on singles by Mary Caron, Vlasta Mangia and Colleen Drennan. Carthage pitcher Krystina Leazer (So., Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove) got Lauren Schramm on a called third strike and Laura Whitfield to fly to right for the final out. Leazer (15-5) allowed no runs on eight hits and no walks, while striking out seven batters. Carthage managed only three hits off Vlasta Mangia (7-5).
Trailing first-place Millikin University in the CCIW by just a game and one-half after the opening-game win, Carthage coach Amy Gillmore was taking no chances in the second game. She brought Leazer back to start the nightcap against Brianna Nelson. The Lady Reds broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fourth. Alyse Mikolas singled with one out and moved to third on a two-base throwing error by Cardinals first baseman Alyssa Rabulinski and scored on a sacrifice fly by Katie Paulmeyer.
Meanwhile, Leazer stifled North Central on two hits through the first five innings. The Lady Reds upped their lead to 2-0 in the sixth. Alyssa Schrader reached on a fielding error by Cardinals rightfielder Corinne Sheley and scored on an RBI-double by Mikolas. Leazer (16-5) allowed a two-out single by Lauren Schramm in the sixth and set the side out in order in the seventh to complete the three-hit shutout. The Carthage sophomore is just two wins shy of tying Amanda Leitzen's 2005 season record of 18 wins. Brianna Nelson (10-4) took the loss. Alysa Mikolas (Fr., Kenosha, Wis./Bradford) went two-for-three with a run scored and an RBI.
Carthage travels to Elmhurst, Ill., on Saturday, April 30 to close out its CCIW-schedule with a 1 p.m. twinbill against Elmhurst College (14-22, 6-6 CCIW) at Salt Creek Park.
