KENOSHA,  Wis. - After carrying a no-hitter through five innings in game one of a Friday afternoon doubleheader in Kenosha, the Carthage Firebirds softball team surrendered a late 3-1 lead to fall to the Illinois Wesleyan Titans. 

The team fell behind early in game two but came back from being down five to tie the game in impressive fashion. A difficult fifth inning, however, set the Firebirds too far behind - leading to a sweep at the hands of the Titans. 





Game One

• Final Score: Illinois Wesleyan 5, Carthage 3
• Location: Dr. James L. Santarelli Sports Complex - Kenosha, Wis.
• Records: Carthage 8-16 (3-4 CCIW), Illinois Wesleyan 12-10 (3-0 CCIW)

Game Two

• Final Score: Illinois Wesleyan 12, Carthage 5
• Location: Dr. James L. Santarelli Sports Complex - Kenosha, Wis.
• Records: Carthage 8-17 (3-5 CCIW), Illinois Wesleyan 13-10 (4-0 CCIW)

Game One:

• Carthage jumped out to an early lead in game one, as slugger Izzy Hernandez drilled a line drive over the fence for a two-run home run, scoring Gwen Hendrick. Carthage led 2-0 after the first inning. 
• Both pitchers were dialed in after Hernandez's home run, as the score didn't budge until the bottom of the fifth inning. Carthage tacked on an insurance run in the fifth inning as ace Maddie Conway singled in Gracie Vlach to put the Firebirds ahead 3-0. 
• Beyond her contributions at the plate, Maddie Conway was dealing in the circle. Conway carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before the Titans finally broke through. A single to shortstop ended the no-no, and some well-played small ball by Illinois Wesleyan sent a run across. Carthage still held a 3-1 lead after six innings. 
• With Conway still on the mound in the top of the seventh and the Firebirds holding a 3-1 lead, Illinois Wesleyan finally found some offense. A pair of singles with one out put the go-ahead run at the plate in Ava Khoury - an elite power-hitter for the Titans. Khoury barreled up a two-strike pitch and sent it over the right-field fence to give Illinois Wesleyan the lead - its' first of the day. 
• The Titans tacked on another run later in the inning and Carthage couldn't respond in the seventh, leading to a frustrating 5-3 loss for the home team. 

Game Two:

• Illinois Wesleyan started game two off strong, scoring three in the bottom of the first - doing so with some power. The Titans doubled in a run before cranking a two-run home run to left to set the tone. 
• The Titan's lead expanded to five as they scored with the help of some small ball and a Carthage error. 
• After Maddie Conway carried a no-hitter deep into game one, Illinois Wesleyan's starting pitcher did the same - carrying one through four innings in the circle. The no-no was ended as Tallulah Finegold dribbled one down the line, creating a tough play for the pitcher. 
• Finegold's single sparked a tremendous inning from Carthage offensively, as the Firebirds sent five runs across to tie the game in miraculous fashion. Three-consecutive singles sent a pair of runners home before Carthage scored three more on an RBI groundout from Kirby Peters and a two-RBI single from Kristina Chronos. 
• After coming back to tie the game at five, the momentum was short-lived as the Titans scored seven runs during the next half-inning. The inning included two walks, a passed ball, a wild pitch, a steal of home, and seven singles. 
• Though the team came back from down five runs earlier in the game, another sizable deficit was too much to overcome. Illinois Wesleyan earned the conference sweep with a 12-5 victory in game two. 

 

• Though game one didn't end how Maddie Conway had hoped it would, the team's ace was sensational through five innings in the circle. Conway continually made quick work of Illinois Wesleyan, quieting down a terrific lineup for most of the game. In relief in game two, Conway went 1.1 innings, allowing only a single hit while striking out two. 
• Gracie Vlach finished with multiple hits and a run scored in game one, also making a number of impressive plays in the field.
• Izzy Hernandez went yard in the first inning of game one - swatting a two-run shot to give Carthage an early lead. Izzy also drew a walk in the defeat. In game two, Hernandez added two more RBIs and a run scored. Through 25 games, the veteran leads the team in home runs (four), RBIs (23), total bases (45), SLG% (.608), OPS (1.060), walks (nine), and hits (29). 
• Kristina Chronos drove in two base runners in game two, doing so with a single. Kirby Peters also drove in a run in game two. 

 

• After spending the week at home, softball will travel down to Illinois to take on a pair of CCIW foes this week. The team's first doubleheader will take place on Tuesday, April 18 at 3 p.m. against the Elmhurst Bluejays, and will be followed two days later by a doubleheader versus Wheaton (Ill.) starting at 3 p.m.