RIVER FOREST, ILL.—The Carthage College softball team squared-off against Concordia University Chicago (DH) at the CUC Softball Field in a rare Monday affair in River Forest, Ill. A three-run Cougar first inning helped propel them to a 5-4 victory over the Lady Reds in game one. Naomi Alonzo's complete-game effort on the pitching rubber, and two-run home run carried Carthage to a 7-3 victory over Concordia Chicago in game two.
 
The split gives Carthage an 8-10, 0-0 CCIW mark while the Cougars sit at 9-5, 0-0 NACC after Monday.
 
Concordia Chicago 5, Lady Reds 4
 
The Cougars' capitalized on a three-run first-inning en route to an early 3-0 lead before the Lady Reds returned the favor with three of their own in the second inning. Jennifer Michuda (walk) and Ellie Bernero (reached on an error) put runners on base for Brooke Sefcik, who blasted her fourth home run of the season to help the Lady Reds tie Concordia Chicago 3-3.
 
Emmily Zinkiewicz gave Carthage a brief 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning when her double plated Courtney Polanski, who singled. The Cougars turned a pair of Carthage errors into runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to regain the lead at 5-4, where things stayed final.
 
Stefanie Guercio pitched the first inning for Carthage before she turned things to Bernero for the remainder of the game. Bernero turned in a stellar performance with seven strikeouts and zero walks over the final five innings on the pitching rubber for the Lady Reds.
 
Carthage outhit Concordia Chicago 8-4 in the contest. Alessia Knowski and Alonzo each went 2-for-4 at the plate for Carthage while Zinkiewicz, Jennifer Michuda, Sefcik and Polanski each recorded a hit.
 
Lady Reds 7, Concordia Chicago 3
 
Alonzo struck out five batters throughout the opening four innings for Carthage to keep the score 0-0. The Lady Reds found their stroke in the fifth inning when Polanski's RBI-single, and Makenzie Miller's RBI-double each plated a run to give Carthage a 2-0 edge. Alonzo closed the inning's scoring with a two-out, two-run home run that also scored Miller to push the Lady Reds' cushion to 4-0.
 
The Lady Reds added three more runs in the sixth inning to make the score 7-0. Sefcik, who doubled, kicked-off the scoring when Bernero reached on an error to make the score 5-0. Zinkiewicz recorded a two-out, two-run double that plated Polanski (single) and Bernero to extend the margin to 7-0.
 
The Cougars plated their first runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth off Melissa Balkema's two-run home run to cut their deficit to 7-2.
 
Alonzo finished the game with eight strikeouts while giving up just three hits and one walk. Sefick and Zinkiewicz powered the Carthage offense with two hits each.
 
The Lady Reds will face Wisconsin Lutheran College (DH) at the Neumann Family Softball Complex in Milwaukee, Wis. on Thursday, March 29 at 3:00 p.m.