WHITEWATER, WIS.—The Carthage College softball team's first NCAA Division III Softball Tournament appearance since 2013 was upon them on Friday, when they squared-off against Coe College in the first game of the double-elimination bracket at Van Steenderen Field in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Carthage capitalized on a win in their first game of an NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history with a 3-1 edge over the Kohawks. The other occasion occurred in 2010, when the Lady Reds destroyed Alma 4-0 in the tournament opener.
Carthage ups their record to 27-14, and will face UW-Whitewater in the winner's bracket tomorrow, Saturday, May 11 at 11:00 a.m. in Whitewater. Coe drops to 32-10 on the season.
Lady Reds starting pitcher
Stefanie Guercio held Coe to just three hits, and struckout eight of their batters in a complete-game win that boosted her record to 19-4. Guercio, who allowed no earned runs, is now five strikeouts shy of tying Krystina Leazer's (2013) single-season record of 225.
Coe set the tone with a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning before
Kelsey Domagala accounted for two of Carthage's three runs in the contest. Domagala's strong day began with her second home run of the season in the fifth inning that knotted the score at 1-1.
Brooke Sefcik followed suit with a fifth-inning single before being pinch ran for by
Danielle Koziczkowski, who eventually scored off
Makenzie Miller's double that gave Carthage a 2-1 lead.
Domagala iced the game in the sixth inning with a groundout that scored Stevens (walk) from third base to push the score to 3-1.
Domagala, Miller, Sefcik and
Ellie Bernero each notched a hit for Carthage. Coe starting pitcher Alyssa Olson allowed four hits, three walks and notched six strikeouts in the losing effort.
