Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Carthage College softball team (13-5, 2-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), tied for 34th place in the April 3 National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, opened its CCIW-schedule on Saturday, April 6 by sweeping a doubleheader from North Park University (13-5, 1-3 CCIW), 2-1 and 12-3, at the Carthage Softball Field in Kenosha, Wis.
 
North Park took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener on an RBI-single by Cyerra Rodriguez.  Carthage went up, 2-1, in the fifth on a two-out, two-run home run by Amy Slattery (Sr., Tinley Park, Ill./New Lenox-Providence Catholic), and that lead help up.  Krystina Leazer (Sr., Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove) upped her record to 8-2 by limiting the Vikings to one run on three hits and no walks, while striking out eight batters.  Casey Latal (5-3) took the loss despite giving up just two runs on four hits over six innings.
 
North Park broke out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, thanks to a two-run homer to dead-centerfield by Cyerra Rodriguez.  The Lady Reds unloaded on Vikings pitcher Danielle Warner in the second inning, with nine-straight batters reaching safely before North Park recorded an out.  Carthage scored eight times, with the big hit coming on a three-run double by Vicki Pyan (Jr., Crystal Lake, Ill./South).  The Lady Reds scored two more in the third to take a 10-2 lead.  Amy Slattery tripled and scored on a squeeze bunt by Jen Precht, and Bryanna Heckel (Jr., Kenosha, Wis./Salem-Westosha Central) connected on a solo home run to right-centerfield.  After North Park scored a run in the third, Carthage tacked on two in the fourth for the final, 12-3 margin, as the game was called after five inning due to an eight-run rule.
 
Lady Reds hurler Tina Campbell (Jr., St. Petersburg, Fla./Lakeland) improved to 5-3 by limiting North Park to three runs on nine hits and a walk.  Danielle Warner (7-2) was the losing pitcher, as she surrendered the first eight runs.  Vicki Pyan went two-for-three with three RBI for Carthage.  Alyse Mikolas (Jr., Kenosha, Wis./Bradford) had two hits in three trips with two RBI, and Bryanna Heckel went two-for-four with an RBI. 

Carthage plays host to Carroll University (Wis., 4-14) on Monday, April 8 in a 3 p.m. doubleheader, also at the Carthage field.  Monday's set was originally scheduled to be played in Waukesha, Wis.