WAUKESHA, Wis. - It was a difficult ending to a promising day for the Carroll University softball team.
Carroll lost to No. 13-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 7-0 in the finale of a cold, blustery nonconference doubleheader at Kilgour Field on Thursday evening.
It was the third straight loss and fifth in the last six games for the young Pioneers, who dropped to 15-15 overall.
Sophomore right-hander Julia Camardo pitched a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts and no walks to lead UW-Whitewater, which improved to 25-7 overall.
The Warhawks, who amassed 12 hits, collected what became the decisive run in the top of the first as sophomore center fielder Caitlin Catino scored on a fielding error. Freshman designated hitter Nicole Neitzel followed with an RBI groundout in the second.
UW-Whitewater extended the lead to 5-0 with a three-run fourth, including a run-scoring single by sophomore shortstop Kelly Berglund and a two-run single by Catino.
Berglund went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Warhawks, who added two runs in the seventh to ensure a victory.
Sophomore right fielder Annika Graves (Muskego, Wis.) went 2-for-3 to help lead Carroll, which generated three extra-base hits in the contest but stranded five basesrunners - leaving three in scoring position.
Graves contributed a triple to deep right field in the bottom of the first and a two-out single in the fifth for the Pioneers.
"I was just attempting to do my job and make something positive happen by getting on base early in the game," said Graves, the team's left-handed leadoff hitter who has a .341 batting average. "With each at-bat, it was all about staying focused, concentrating on each individual pitch and making the most of the situation.
"Coming into the day, we knew UW-Whitewater would be a good opponent and just tried to have some fun out there. From start to finish, we played our game, really didn't feel any pressure and learned from the experience. Unfortunately, the big hits just weren't there today but we'll continue to work hard on getting the runs across in the games to come.
"Hopefully, we can bounce back from this and get four wins this weekend."
Senior shortstop Megan Kohlmetz (Appleton, Wis.) had a double to left field in the second and freshman designated hitter Elaine Anderson (Bristol, Wis.) added a lead-off double in the fifth.
Senior right-hander Hannah Miller (Chicago, Ill.) took a complete-game loss, allowing six earned runs on 12 hits with three strikeouts and four walks.
"We competed hard throughout the course of the day," Carroll head coach Amy Gradecki said. "UW-Whitewater has a very balanced attack and deserved all the credit in the way they were able to execute in both games. 
"That said, we had our share of opportunities with runners on base and just couldn't string enough hits together at the right time to get back in it. We're young so its an area we'll continue to work on heading into the final stretch of the season."