The Carthage College softball team (10-18, 2-6 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) split a Thursday, April 16 non-conference doubleheader with Wisconsin Lutheran College (8-18) at the Carthage Softball Field in Kenosha, Wis. The Lady Reds lost the first game, 6-4, but won the nightcap by a 6-4 margin.
Wisconsin Lutheran took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener on an RBI-double by Alicia Barbian. Barbian launched a three-run homer in the third to give the Warriors a 4-0 lead. The Lady Reds got one run back in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by
Sam Phelps. Wisconsin Lutheran's Emily Held hit a two-run single in the fifth to up the lead to 6-1. Carthage scored two in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-3 and added one in the seventh for the final, 6-4 margin.
Libby Larsen (4-6) was the winning pitcher. She worked the first four innings and limited Carthage to an unearned run on five hits. Sadie Schmidt (Fr., Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) pitched the final three innings to pick up her first save.
Makenzie Walker (So., Kenosha, Wis./Bradford, 3-8) took the loss and surrendered six runs on eight hits, two walks and six strikeouts over seven innings.
Darian Pelsor (So., Villa Park, Ill./Willowbrook) went three-for-three.
The Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, before Carthage's
Olivia Scott homered to cut the lead to 2-1. Wisconsin Lutheran scored two more in the second to take a 4-1 lead. The Lady Reds scored four time in the third to take a 5-4 lead. After Scott scored on a wild pitch, Carthage scored three runs on a bizarre play. With two runners on,
Makenzie Walker singled to center scoring one run. Wisconsin Lutheran centerfielder Dayan Gacgacao's throwing error allowed the second run to score, with Walker advancing to third. As Warriors pitcher Libby Larsen went back to the mound, Walker took off from third and scored on a steal of home The Lady Reds added a run in the sixth on an RBI-double by Scott to close out the scoring at 6-4.
Jessica Kirby (So., Bartlett, Ill., 4-6) was the winning pitcher in the second game, and she allowed four runs on nine hits and a walk over seven innings. Libby Larsen (4-7) took the loss.
Olivia Scott (Sr., Plainfield, Ill./Central) went three-for-three with two runs scored and two RBI.
Carthage was also scheduled to travel to Ripon, Wis., on Tuesday, April 21 to play a non-conference doubleheader with Ripon College, but that set was canceled. The Lady Reds play next on Thursday, April 23 when they travel to Elmhurst, Ill., to play conference-opponent Elmhurst College in a 3 p.m. twinbill at Salt Creek Park.
