Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Carthage College softball team (22-2, 2-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 25th in the April 11 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll, opened its CCIW-schedule on Wednesday, April 11 by sweeping a doubleheader from Wheaton College (Ill., 17-11, 0-4 CCIW), 8-3 and 8-7, at Leedy Field in Wheaton, Ill.  The two wins extended Carthage's winning streak to 12 games, third-best in school history behind a 14-game streak in 2003 and a 13-gamer in 1990.
 
Wheaton broke a scoreless tie in the third inning of the opener with a pair of runs.  Carthage came back with a four-run fourth inning.  Olivia Scott hit a two-run single with the base loaded, with Caris Alan also scoring on the play all the way from first base on a fielding error by Thunder leftfielder Jessica Goeke.  Alyse Mikolas singled home the fourth run. 

After Wheaton cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Reds scored four more in the seventh.  Alyssa Schrader and Randi Rederer each connected on two-run doubles.  Krystina Leazer (Jr., Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove) improved her record to 13-1 by limiting the Thunder to three runs on seven hits and no walks, while striking out seven.  Ainsley McCullough (7-4) took the loss.  Alyssa Schrader (Sr., Plainfield, Ill./South) went two-for-four with two RBI, and Bryanna Heckel (So., Kenosha, Wis./Salem-Westosha Central) also went two-for-four.
 
In the nightcap, Carthage took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first on a fielding error and a pair of wild pitches from Thunder starter Danielle Schmidt.  After Wheaton tied the game, 3-3, in the second, the Lady Reds took a 5-3 lead in the third when Alyssa Schrader doubled in a run and subsequently scored on a passed ball.  Wheaton re-gained the lead, 7-5, in the fourth, collecting seven hits in the frame.  Krystina Leazer replaced Schrader on the hill midway through the inning. 

Carthage got a run back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI-double by Alyse Mikolas to close the gap to 7-6.  The Lady Reds took the lead, for good, 8-7, in the sixth on a two-run homer by Katie Morman (Fr., Kenosha, Wis./Somers-Shoreland Lutheran).  Morman went two-for-four with the two RBI.  Leazer improved to 14-1 by picking up the relief win.  She blanked the Thunder on six hits over the final four innings.  Ainsley McCullough (7-5) took the loss in the second game, as well. 

Carthage travels to Decatur, Ill., on Saturday, April 14 to take on conference-opponent Millikin University (12-12, 1-3 CCIW) in a 1 p.m. twinbill at Rotary Field.