ROCK ISLAND, ILL.—A three-hour trek west was in the cards for the Carthage College softball team, who squared-off against Augustana College (Ill.) (DH) in a Thursday-night bout in Rock Island, Illinois. Home runs from 
Courtney Polanski and 
Donna Stevens propelled Carthage to a 6-3 win over the Vikings in game one. The Vikings responded from a 2-0 deficit with four unanswered runs en route to a 4-2 win over the Lady Reds in game two.
 
The split sends Carthage's record to 18-8, 6-4 CCIW, and the Vikings' mark to 16-18, 5-7 CCIW.
 
Lady Reds 6, Augustana 3
 
Carthage set the tone with a 2-0 advantage in the second inning, thanks to 
Alexandra Millett's two-run double that scored 
Stefanie Guercio (walk) and 
Kelsey Domagala (single). 
Naomi Alonzo, who led off the third inning with a double and reached third on 
Ellie Bernero's groundout, scored on a wild pitch to push the score to 3-0.
 
Carly Wilson's two-run home run in the third inning narrowed Augustana's deficit to 3-2, but Polanski and Stevens (two-run) responded with home runs for Carthage in the fourth that pushed their edge to 6-2. The Vikings added a sixth-inning run, but couldn't push more across in a 6-3 loss.
 
Millett tallied three hits for the Lady Reds while Polanski's home run highlighted her 2-for-3 outing. Stevens' home run gave her a 1-for-3 day. Guercio improved her pitching record to 11-3, where she allowed five hits and two walks while striking out nine batters. Carthage out-hit the Vikings 8-5.
 
Augustana 4, Lady Reds 2
 
Brooke Sefcik gave Carthage a 2-0 edge in the first inning with a bases-loaded single that scored Polanski (walk) and Millett (double). That was all the offense Carthage mustered as the Vikings responded with four unanswered runs en route to a 4-2 win.
 
The Lady Reds and Vikings each notched seven hits. Sefcik, Alonzo and Millett each tallied a pair of hits for Carthage. 
Ellie Bernero and Alonzo combined to surrender seven hits, four runs and five walks in the losing effort on the pitching rubber.
 
Carthage will host Carroll University (DH) on Tuesday, April 23 at 3:00 p.m.