KENOSHA, WIS.—The Carthage College softball team battled through 30-degree temperatures in their 2018 home opener against Milwaukee School of Engineering (DH) at the Carthage Softball Field on Saturday.  Lorrin Pondo's 11 strikeouts over seven innings on the pitching rubber propelled the Raiders to a 4-0 victory over the Lady Reds. Naomi Alonzo registered nine strikeouts in the circle for Carthage in game two, but didn't receive enough run support in a 4-3 loss to MSOE.
 
"Pleased with our pitching and defense throughout the day, but I continue to sound like a broken record when I say we can't strand runners on base like that especially in game one," said Lady Reds head softball coach Amy Gillmore. "We have plenty of opportunities to get better, and that comes with more games. We have a quick turnaround on Monday, so more opportunity to improve."
 
The losses drop Carthage's record to 7-9, 0-0 CCIW while Milwaukee School of Engineering ups their record to 9-3, 0-0 NACC.
 
MSOE 4, Lady Reds 0
 
Stefanie Guercio, who stuckout seven batters and surrendered four runs in the complete-game loss, didn't give up a run until the fifth inning when MSOE took a 1-0 lead. The Raiders added one run in the sixth inning, and two more in the seventh inning to secure a 4-0 victory.
 
The Lady Reds stranded 10 base runners in the contest compared to MSOE's six. Brooke Sefcik paced the Lady Reds with a pair of hits in the contest. Naomi Alonzo, Alexandra Millett and Jennifer Michuda each contributed one hit for Carthage.
 
MSOE 4, Lady Reds 3
 
The Raiders jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning before Carthage tacked on their first run of the day. With one out, Alonzo reached on a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored off Millett's single up the middle to narrow Carthage's margin to 2-1 in the first inning. MSOE exploited a Carthage error with a second-inning run to widen their lead to 3-1, before Courtney Polanski registered a home run in the bottom of the second for the Lady Reds to cut the score to 3-2.
 
The Lady Reds and Raiders traded runs in the fourth inning to make the score 4-3 in favor of MSOE, where things went final. Carthage's run in the fourth inning was courtesy of Jennifer Michuda, who doubled and scored off Ellie Bernero's single.
 
Polanski, Bernero, Millett and Michuda each registered a hit for Carthage. Alonzo struckout nine batters in seven innings of work on the pitching rubber for the Lady Reds.
 
Carthage will return to action on Monday, March 26 at Concordia Chicago (DH). First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.