Lake Forest 7, Carthage 5
Lake Forest 19, Carthage 10 (5 innings)
KENOSHA, Wis. - The Carthage softball team opened the home schedule with a Saturday doubleheader against the Lake Forest College Foresters at Wiers Family Stadium and Art Keller Field. It was a tough day for the Firebirds, as the team struggled to keep up with the firepower of the Foresters offense in both contests.



GAME ONE

The Foresters got on the board with an RBI single from Emma Nyen that brought home Kaia Mismash and Kyla Chevalier to give Lake Forest an early 2-0 lead. The Foresters added another run in the top of the third inning as Paige Ratliff reached on a fielder's choice to score Mismash and extend the lead to 3-0. The Foresters then added three more in the top of the fourth inning. The first of the three came from a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Lia Taglia that scored Brooke Swiecki. An RBI single from Mismash scored Bella Antonucci and an RBI single from Chevalier scored Mismash to make it a 6-0 game.

The Firebirds responded in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Peyton Kryza sent an RBI double into left center field to score Rachael Setterstrom and Olivia Hristov. The Firebirds cut the deficit to four runs.

The Foresters added a run in the top of the fifth inning when Nicole Marceau hit a triple to right center and then scored on a throwing error to make the score 7-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, Gwen Hendrick used an RBI single down the right field line to score Clare Rettler. A groundout from Hristov scored Rylee Boyd, before an RBI single for Isabel Bates scored Hendrick to bring the score to 7-5 at the end of the fifth inning.

The two teams held each other scoreless through the sixth and seventh innings as the Foresters claimed the victory in the front half of the doubleheader.

PITCHING DECISIONS
W: Riley Styles (3-2)
L: Emma Faubel (2-2)

GAME TWO

The Foresters jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the top of the first, highlighted by a three run home run for Cadence Dempsey. The Firebirds retaliated in the bottom half of the first inning with RBIs from a double for Hendrick, a single for Hristov, and a fielder's choice for Bates to cut the deficit to 6-3.

An RBI double for Ratliff brought home three more runs for the Foresters, as Lake Forest jumped out to a 9-3 lead halfway through the second inning. A triple from Rettler kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the second, while Boyd followed up with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 9-5. A fielder's choice and an error plated two more runs as Carthage trailed 9-7 after two innings.

A two-run home run from Jolie DeValk extended the lead to 11-7 in the third inning. A sacrifice flyout from Hendrick scored Jessica Craig to bring the Firebirds back within three runs of the lead.

The Foresters then blew the game open in the fourth inning, tallying eight runs and extending the score to 19-10. The Firebirds registered two more runs in the fifth inning, but the game ended due to the Foresters holding a lead of eight runs or more.

PITCHING DECISIONS
W: Ellie Aducci (2-0)
L: Emma Asien (1-3)



HITTING

• Clare Rettler: 7-7, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 3 3B, 1 BB
• Rylee Boyd: 2-8, 2 R, 1 RBI
• Gwen Hendrick: 2-5, 4 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB
• Olivia Hristov: 4-7, 2 R, 3 RBI
• Isabel Bates: 3 RBI
• Peyton Kryza: 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 2B

PITCHING

• Olivia Hristov: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB

The Firebirds (6-8) return to action on Thursday, Mar. 26 as the team travels to Milwaukee, Wis. to face off against MSOE at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Carthage softball returns to Wiers Family Stadium and Barbara Madrigano Field on Saturday, March 28 for a doubleheader against Wis-Whitewater. Action begins at 1 p.m. CST. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.