Carthage 2, Wittenberg 1
Carthage 5, Kean 4

WINTER HAVEN — The Carthage College softball team returned for day four of their spring break trip in Winter Haven, Florida. The Firebirds swept the day, taking both wins against Wittenberg (2-1) and Kean (5-4). Clare Rettler, a junior from Appleton, Wis., broke the Carthage career stolen bases record Wednesday afternoon. The previous record of 56 was set by Bella Spittler in 2022. Rettler now holds the record with currently 58 stolen bases. 


GAME 1

• The game sat scoreless till the top of the fourth. Wittenberg scored off of two singles (1-0).
• The Firebirds tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Peyton Kryza started the Firebirds off with a walk. Izzy Hernandez singled to right center to advance Kryza to second. Gwen Hendrick scored Kryza after a single to right field (1-1). 
• In the bottom of the fifth, Rettler singled to center field. Kristina Chronos advanced Rettler to second with a single to center field. Kryza scored Rettler with a single to left center, forcing the score to 2-1 for the Firebirds lead.
• The Firebirds kept Wittenberg scoreless for the next two innings to take the win 2-1.

GAME 2

• Carthage started strong in the first inning. Rettler started the Firebirds off with a walk and stole second. Chronos singled through the right side to advance Rettler to third. Rettler scored off a foul out by Hernandez (1-0).
• The Firebirds had a big inning in the second, forcing their lead to 4-0. Hana Adler started it off for the Firebirds with a walk. Skylar Swatkowski singled through the left side, advancing Adler to third. Rettler also singled through the left side, scoring Adler (2-0) and advancing Swatkowski. Swatkowski and Rettler both stole a base. Hendricks reached on a throwing error, scoring Swatkowski and Rettler (4-0).
• With two outs, Addison Simonson started it off for the Firebirds with a single down the right field line in the top of the third. Swatkowski reached on an error, advancing Simonson to third on the error. Rettler singled to third base, scoring Simonson (5-0).
• Kean dug into the Firebirds' lead in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs off of two singles and a double (5-2). 
• Kean continued to dig into the Firebirds' lead, scoring two after a home run to left field in the bottom of the seventh (5-4). However, the Firebirds held off Kean in the bottom of the seventh to take the win 5-4. 

• Against Wittenberg, Kryza led the Firebirds with two hits and one run. 
• Rettler led the Firebirds with two hits and two runs against Kean.
• Maddie Conway and Olivia Hristov increased their win records in the circle (3-1). 

• The Firebirds continue their spring break trip, taking on Ohio Wesleyan and Ithaca on Thursday, March 13. For more information, visit our athletics.carthage.edu.