Carthage 11, Carroll 2 (F/5)
Carroll 6, Carthage 0
WAUKESHA, Wis. - The Carthage softball team traveled to face the Carroll Pioneers in a Sunday doubleheader. The Firebirds offense got off to a hot start, forcing a run rule in the opening game after just five innings. The Pioneers offense woke up in game two to earn the shutout victory over the visiting Firebirds.



GAME 1

Hana Adler got the Firebirds offense on the board in the top of the second with an RBI double to right center field, scoring OIivia Hristov on the play. Adler came home to score on a fielding error. Later in the inning, Abby Wierzbicki hit an RBI double to left field to bring home Rylee Johnson and extend the Firebirds lead to 3-0. Izzy Hernandez then hit an RBI double to left field, scoring Peyton Kryza and Wierzbicki to give Carthage a 5-0 lead.

An RBI single in the bottom of the second inning would get the Pioneers on the scoreboard and cut the lead to 5-1.

Wierzbicki hit another RBI double in the fourth inning, this time down the left field line with Johnson coming home to make it a 6-1 game. 

In the top of the fifth, Johnson got the offense started with a double to center field, scoring Adler. Johnson would later score on an RBI single by Clare Rettler. Kryza singled to center field, scoring Rettler and moving Wierzbicki into scoring position. A single by Hernandez would score Wierzbicki and Kryza, extending the lead to 11-1 by the end of the inning.

The Pioneers scored one run in the bottom of the fifth, but it would not be enough to prevent the run rule from being enforced and giving Carthage the five-inning win.

GAME 2

The Pioneers got on the board quickly in the first inning with an RBI groundout. Carroll would go on to put up five runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-0 lead, which they held to the end of the game to earn the series split.


 

• In game one, Wierzbicki went 3-3 with two runs and two RBIs
• Johnson went 2-2 with three runs and an RBI
• Maddie Conway earned her eighth win in game one, throwing 5.0 innings and allowing two runs on four hits. She registered five strikeouts.

Carthage softball returns to Wiers Family Stadium and Barbara Madrigrano Field on April 16 against North Central (IL). Action begins at 3 p.m. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.