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Carthage College Athletics

The Official Website of The Carthage College Firebirds
MJ Rouse posing for a picture, extending her bat, wearing a red uniform
Kayleigh Wieska
1
Carthage CARTHAGE 7-11
6
Winner Augustana (Ill.) AUGUSTAN 10-9
Carthage CARTHAGE
7-11
1
Final
6
Augustana (Ill.) AUGUSTAN
10-9
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Carthage CARTHAGE 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 0
Augustana (Ill.) AUGUSTAN 0 0 0 5 1 0 X 6 9 2

W: N. Ranieri (8-3) L: Conway, Maddie (5-6)

1
Augustana (Ill.) AUGUSTAN 10-10
2
Winner Carthage CARTHAGE 8-11
Augustana (Ill.) AUGUSTAN
10-10
1
Final
2
Carthage CARTHAGE
8-11
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
Augustana (Ill.) AUGUSTAN 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 1
Carthage CARTHAGE 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 10 0

W: Conway, Maddie (6-6) L: N. Ranieri (2-6)

Game Recap: Softball |

Softball Walks-Off Augustana in Longest Game Since 2017, Earns Doubleheader Split; Rouse Electrifies in Circle

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - After 12 innings of intense softball - the team's longest game (in innings) since 2017 - the Carthage Firebirds came out on top as the winning run scored via an error. Carthage earned the doubleheader split after falling in game one 6-1. 

MJ Rouse, a sophomore pitcher, saw her first action of the year in the circle and was simply sensational. Rouse pitched one scoreless inning in relief to close game one before earning the start in game two, pitching seven innings of one-run ball and doing so on only 75 pitches. Maddie Conway relieved Rouse in game two, allowing only three hits (no runs) in five innings. Conway struck out six batters in game two to pick up the win. 


The Basics


Game One
  • Final Score:  Augustana 6, Carthage 1
  • Location: Carver Field - Rock Island, Ill. 
  • Records: Carthage 7-11 (2-3 CCIW), Augustana 10-9 (1-2 CCIW)

Game Two
  • Final Score:  Carthage 2, Augustana 1 (F/12)
  • Location: Carver Field - Rock Island, Ill. 
  • Records: Carthage 8-11 (3-3 CCIW), Augustana 10-10 (1-3 CCIW)

How it Happened


Game One:
  • The first game of a Friday afternoon conference doubleheader remained scoreless through three innings, with neither team able to capitalize on baserunners. 
  • Carthage stranded runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the fourth, while Augustana struck first in the bottom half. Augustana was able to time-up Maddie Conway en route to four runs, scoring mostly on walks and effective small ball execution; Coach Gillmore was forced to change pitchers with only one recorded out in the inning, bringing in first-year pitcher Hana Adler. 
  • The Vikings tacked on one more in the fourth on a wild pitch from Adler, but the rookie quelled further damage from the home team. 
  • Kelly Gaiser put the Firebirds on the board with a two-out RBI single to center field, scoring classmate Clare Rettler. 
  • Entering the circle for the first time this season, sophomore MJ Rouse was brought in to relieve Hana Adler in the sixth inning. Rouse allowed just a single, retiring the Vikings with ease. 
  • Trailing by five entering the seventh inning, Carthage went three-and-out to end the game. Augustana was victorious in game one, winning 6-1.
Game Two:
  • Déjà vu struck in game two, as neither team could convert through the first three innings before Augustana generated some offense in the fourth inning. The Vikings led 1-0 midway through the fourth before Carthage answered at the plate in the inning's bottom half.
  • Izzy Hernandez stayed hot at the plate, scoring Kelly Gaiser on an RBI single after Gaiser doubled to open the inning. The Firebirds stranded Hernandez at second base, sending the game into the fifth inning with a 1-1 tie. 
  • The game entered the six inning still deadlocked at 1-1, as both offenses failed to execute well enough to advance its baserunners. MJ Rouse entered the sixth having surrendered only one earned run, six hits, and one walk - doing so on a measly 44 pitches. 
  • After Rouse shut Augustana down once again in the sixth inning, the Firebirds put runners on first and second with two outs - giving Kirby Peters a prime opportunity to break things open. Peters was struck out by Augustana's ace, sending the game into the seventh inning still knotted at 1-1. 
  • Rouse allowed a pair of baserunners in the seventh but worked around them, giving Carthage the chance to walk it off at the plate in the bottom half of the seventh. 
  • A two-out double from Kiley Lamb put the winning run in scoring position, but Kelly Gaiser flew out to send the game into extra innings. After seven strong innings in the circle from MJ Rouse, Maddie Conway came on in relief of the sophomore to begin the eighth. 
  • Despite putting runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the eighth, Maddie Conway recorded a clutch strikeout to eliminate the threat. 
  • Despite loading the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth, Augustana failed to convert offensively after Maddie Conway struck out another Viking. After nine, Augustana had stranded 13 runners on base. 
  • Kirby Peters recorded her first hit of the evening, doubling to center field to begin the latter half of the inning. Unfortunately, Peters stayed put as three different Firebirds struck out swinging to end the inning as the game trekked on to the tenth. 
  • Each team continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, with both failing to execute through the 10th and 11th innings. Maddie Conway remained in the circle to begin the 12th for Carthage. 
  • After Augustana failed to score in its half of the 12th, Kiley Lamb opened up Carthage's half with a single. Lamb was advanced to second on a successful sacrifice bunt from Kelly Gaiser, putting another runner in scoring position with less than two outs for the Firebirds. 
  • After 12 innings of intense softball, Carthage earned the doubleheader split as Kristina Chronos reached base on an error, allowing Kiley Lamb to score.

High Flyers
 
  • After going 3-3 in game two at Naperville on Tuesday, Izzy Hernandez continued to see the ball well. The junior went 2-3 in game one against the Vikings before adding on two more hits, a walk, and an RBI in game two. The slugger has now recorded seven hits in her last three games. 
  • Kelly Gaiser went 1-3, driving in Carthage's lone run in game one. Gaiser drove in Clare Rettler, who got on base with a hit. 
  • In her first action of the season, sophomore MJ Rouse allowed only a single baserunner in her lone inning of work. Rouse also struck out a Viking. Getting the start in game two, Rouse was sensational in the circle; the sophomore threw seven innings of one-run ball, allowing only nine runners to reach base on just 75 pitches. 
  • Though she battled in game one and took the loss, Maddie Conway quickly erased the loss from her memory and pitched at an elite-level to close out game two. The team's ace threw five innings of scoreless softball to earn the win, striking out six Vikings in the process. 
  • Kiley Lamb scored the walk-off run in the 12th inning of game two and also recorded a pair of hits. Kirby Peters joined Lamb and Hernandez as Firebirds with multi-hit games in game two. 

Up Next
 
  • The Firebirds have off for Easter break and will return to action on Tuesday, April 11 against UChicago. The home doubleheader will begin at 3 p.m. 
 
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