The Carthage College softball team (12-18, 4-6 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) swept a Thursday, April 23 CCIW-doubleheader from Elmhurst College (18-14, 3-7 CCIW), 5-1 and 3-2, at Salt Creek Park in Elmhurst, Ill.
With the two wins, the Lady Reds kept their hopes alive for a berth in the CCIW Softball Tournament. Going into the final weekend of the regular season, Carthage is tied for fourth place with Augustana College (Ill., 20-11, 4-6 CCIW).
In the opener, Carthage took a 1-0 lead in the third when
Becky Cronk stole home on the front end of a double steal. Elmhurst tied the game with an unearned run in the bottom half. The Lady Reds scored three in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead.
Tiffani Palmatier led off the inning with a solo home run.
Kristine Herdegen doubled in a run, and Cronk doubled in Herdegen. Herdegen singled in a run in the fifth to make it 5-1.
Palmatier, Herdegen and
Makenzie Walker each had two hits in three trips, with Herdegen driving in two runs. Carthage pitcher
Darian Pelsor (So., Villa Park, Ill./Willowbrook, 3-2) was the winner, and she allowed no runs on four hits and three walks over six innings.
Jessica Kirby finished up in the seventh inning. Tiffany Potthast (7-4) took the loss.
Elmhurst took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, but
Sam Phelps' RBI-single in the bottom half tied the game. The Bluejays took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second, but an RBI-double
Olivia Scott in the bottom half tied the game, 2-2. An RBI-single by
Makenzie Walker in the third put Carthage up, 3-2 to close out the scoring.
Makenzie Walker (So., Kenosha, Wis./Bradford, 4-8) was the winning pitcher, and she limited Elmhurst to a pair of runs on seven hits and two walks over seven innings. Walker,
Olivia Scott and
Sam Phelps each went two-for-three. Katie Boals (4-6) took the loss for the Bluejays.
Carthage plays host to conference-opponent Millikin University (13-21, 2-8 CCIW) in a Saturday, April 25 twinbill at the Carthage Softball Field in Kenosha, Wis., beginning at 1 p.m.
