NAPERVILLE, ILL.—The Carthage College softball team faced North Central College (Ill.) in their first road game in 10 days on Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Reds continued to roll in 6-1 and 3-0 wins over North Central (Ill.) to widen their win streak to 13 games, one game shy of a school-record 14 achieved in 2003.
 
The sweep gives Carthage a 22-8, 11-1 CCIW record while North Central (Ill.) falls to 13-15, 3-5 CCIW. Tuesday's sweep places the Lady Reds in a tie for first place in the CCIW with Millikin University. Carthage will conclude their 2017 CCIW schedule against Millikin at home on Sunday, April 23.
 
Lady Reds 6, North Central 1
 
Lady Reds pitcher Katie Herron struck out five batters and surrendered one run (none earned) in her eighth complete-game victory of the season. Carthage lit the scoreboard in the third inning when Emmily Zinkiewicz hit a two-run home run that also plated Ellie Bernero, who singled, to make the score 2-0.
 
Darian Pelsor launched her sixth home run of the season with one out in the fourth inning to push the Lady Reds' cushion to 3-0. Hailey Rothstein followed that when she reached base off a hit by pitch. Rothstein's pinch runner Jennifer Michuda reached third when Lauren Jones hit into an error. Michuda touched home off Brooke Sefcik's sacrifice fly to make the score 4-0.
 
Vivian Juarez made the score 5-0 in the fifth inning when she tripled home Kayla Uhwat-Vicicondi, who singled.
 
The Cardinals narrowed the score to 5-1 in the fifth inning before Carthage added their final run in the seventh. Sefick did that when she doubled and turned things over to pinch runner Shannon Walsh, who scored off Zinkiewicz's double to make the score 6-1.
 
Zinkiewicz went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Lady Reds while five other teammates notched one hit.
 
Lady Reds 3, North Central 0
 
Carthage pitcher Amy Goldsmith scattered five hits and walked one batter in her fourth complete-game shutout of the season.
 
All three Lady Reds runs occurred in the second inning. Rothstein set the tone with a lead-off single before turning it over to pinch runner Alessia Knowski, who reached second on Sefcik's walk. Ellie Bernero plated Knowski with a single to give the Lady Reds a 1-0 advantage.
 
Uhwat's walk, followed by Juarez's bases-loaded walk plated Bernero to make the score 2-0. Ziniewicz came home when Kristine Herdegen reached on an error to widen the margin to 3-0.
 
Goldsmith retired the side in two of the final four innings to secure a 3-0 victory for the Lady Reds.
 
Bernero tallied two of Carthage's five hits in the game.
 
The Lady Reds will face #21 UW-Oshkosh (DH) in a non-conference road game on Thursday, April 20 at 3:00 p.m.