DECATUR, ILL.—Millikin University awaited the Carthage College softball team for a Saturday matinee (DH) at the Workman Family Softball Field in Decatur, Illinois. Stefanie Guercio's complete-game four hitter along with a pair of RBI's each from Jennifer Michuda and Brooke Sefcik propelled the Lady Reds to a 7-4 victory over the Big Blue in game one. Ellie Bernero's complete-game pitching effort, and two hits at the plate in game two wasn't enough to lift Carthage in their 6-3 loss to Millikin in game two.
 
The split sends Carthage's record to 14-16, 4-4 CCIW while the Big Blue exit Saturday with a 17-11, 4-6 CCIW mark.
 
Lady Reds 7, Millikin 4
 
Carthage set the tone with a 5-0 lead after the second frame. The first inning saw Vivian Juarez and Alexandra Millett each draw a walk before Naomi Alonzo's single loaded the bases. This set up Sefcik's two-run single that plated Millett and Juarez en route to a 2-0 Carthage lead. Bernero followed with a single, which loaded the bases for Michuda's two-run double that scored Sefcik and Veronica Pieters (Alonzo's pinch runner) to push the score to 4-0.
 
Emmily Zinkiewicz made the score 5-0 in the second inning when Alonzo plated her with a sacrifice fly in left-field foul territory. 
 
The Big Blue notched their first two runs of the game off Taylor Jordan's RBI-triple, and Devin Curry's RBI-suicide squeeze bunt in the fifth inning to cut their deficit to 5-2. Carthage responded with a pair of runs off RBI-singles from Juarez and Alonzo in the sixth inning to widen the margin to 7-2. Millikin turned a pair of Lady Reds sixth-inning errors into runs to get within 7-4.
 
Bernero and Michuda each notched a double en route to a 2-for-4 game at the plate for Carthage, who outhit Millikin 9-4 in the contest.
 
Guercio improved to 7-4 on the pitching rubber this season with a complete-game four-hitter, and four strikeouts.
 
Millikin 6, Lady Reds 3
 
Bernero allowed just one earned run in a complete-game pitching loss for Carthage. A pair of Lady Reds first-inning errors propelled Millikin to a 4-0 lead. The Big Blue's lone earned run of the game occurred in the second inning when Devin Curry led off with a triple, and scored off Kelsey Farmer's RBI-groundout to make the score 5-0.
 
Bernero helped herself at the plate with a fourth-inning RBI-single that plated Juarez, who reached on a hit by pitch, to narrow Millikin's lead 5-1. The Big Blue pushed their lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning when they turned a Carthage error into a run. Bernero narrowed Carthage's deficit to 6-2 when she plated Alonzo, who singled, with a sixth-inning RBI-double. Michuda led off the seventh inning with a single before she scored off Juarez's triple to cut Millikin's lead to 6-3.
 
Bernero and Juarez each went 2-for-3 at the dish for Carthage.
 
The Lady Reds will end their five-doubleheader road stand against Wheaton College (Ill.) at the Leedy Softball Field in Wheaton, Illinois on Monday, April 23. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.