Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Carthage College softball team (24-8, 10-2 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 21st in the April 24 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll, split a Thursday, April 25 non-conference doubleheader with the University of Chicago (14-14) at the Stagg Field Complex in Chicago.  The Lady Reds won the first game, 2-0, but a walk-off home run by the Maroons' Julia Covello in the seventh gave Chicago a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.
 
In the opening game, Carthage broke a scoreless tie in the third inning on an RBI-double by Olivia Scott  (So., Plainfield, Ill./Central).  The Lady Reds scored again in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Corinne Sheley.  Scott went three-for-four with an RBI, and Becky Cronk (So., Bolingbrook, Ill.) had two hits in three trips.  Pitcher Krystina Leazer (Sr., Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove) improved her record to 16-3 by throwing a three-hit shutout with two walks and seven strikeouts over seven innings.  Kim Cygan (6-7) took the loss.
 
The Maroons broke a up a scoreless duel in the fourth inning of the nightcap when Kaitlyn Carpenter homered to rightfield off Carthage starting pitcher Tina Campbell,  Maddie McManus subsequently scored on an infield error for a 2-0 Chicago lead.  The Lady Reds tied the game in the top of the seventh on an RBI-double by Bryanna Heckel and an RBI-single by Abby Hanson.
 
The Maroons won the game in the bottom of the seventh when Julia Covello hit a walk-off home run to leftfield on the second pitch from Tina Campbell (Jr., St. Petersburg, Fla./Lakewood, 8-5).  Campbell allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks.  Jordan Poole (6-6) picked up the win.  Carthage's Bryanna Heckel (Jr., Kenosha, Wis./Salem-Westosha Central) went two-for-four with an RBI.
 
Carthage concludes its regular-season conference schedule on Saturday, April 27 by playing host to Millikin University (20-9, 5-5 CCIW) in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at the Carthage Softball Field in Kenosha, Wis.