Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Carthage College softball team (31-5, 11-3 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 19th in the April 25 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll, split a Thursday, April 26 doubleheader with CCIW-opponent and No. 7 Illinois Wesleyan University (30-5, 8-2 CCIW) at the Illinois Wesleyan Softball Field in Bloomington, Ill.  The Lady Reds lost the first game, 2-0, but came back to take the nightcap, 3-2, on a walk-off home run by Alyssa Schrader. 

Carthage, which concluded its regular-season conference schedule on Thursday, remains in second place in the league, one game behind Illinois Wesleyan in the loss column.  The Titans have two remaining CCIW-doubleheaders remaining on their schedule, Saturday at Wheaton College (Ill.) and Sunday at Elmhurst College.
  
In the opening game, Illinois Wesleyan broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning.  Erin Sweeney walked to lead off the frame, and Amanda Fazzari pinch ran for her.  One out later, Courtney Martin singled, sending Fazzari to second.  A fielding error by Carthage third baseman Vicki Pyan loaded the bags, and a fielder's choice by Keri Leach scored Fazzari from third.  The Titans made it a 2-0 game in the sixth  Jessica Toth doubled with one out and scored, one out later, on an RBI-double by Erin Sweeney.  Molly McCready (13-2) was the winning pitcher, and she shut out Carthage on two hits and six walks over seven innings, while striking out seven batters.  Krystina Leazer (Jr., Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove, 21-3) took the loss.  Leazer gave up two runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks, while striking out eight.
 
In the nightcap, the Titans' Keri Leach doubled to lead off the fourth inning and scored on a single by Allie Riordan.  The Lady Reds tied the game, 1-1, in the fifth when Katie Morman led off with a walk, advanced to second on a bunt and scored on a double by Alyssa Schrader.  Illinois Wesleyan came right back with a run in the sixth to re-take the lead, 2-1.  With two outs, Emma Clark doubled and scored on a single by Chloe Montgomery. 

Carthage knotted things up, 2-2, in the bottom of the sixth when Bryanna Heckel singled, went to third on a single by Olivia Scott and scored on single by Alyse Mikolas.  The Lady Reds won the game in the bottom of the seventh with one out when Alyssa Schrader (Sr., Plainfield, Ill./South) hit a walk-off home run, her 13th round-tripper of the year, already a Carthage season record.  Schrader went two-for-four with two RBI, and Bryanna Heckel (So., Kenosha, Wis./Salem-Westosha Central) went two-for-three.  Krystina Leazer, working complete games in both ends of the twinbill, upped her record to 22-3 with the win.  Leazer allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out six batters.  Victoria Whitaker (3-1), in relief of Alyssa Vorel took the loss.
 
On Saturday, April 28, the Lady Reds close out their regular-season schedule by playing host to non-conference opponent the University of Chicago (22-8) in a Noon twinbill at the Carthage Softball Field in Kenosha, Wis.