WHEATON, Ill. - The Carroll University softball team defeated Wheaton College 8-4 to cap a cool, breezy College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin doubleheader at Ruth Leedy Field on Tuesday evening.
It was the fourth consecutive conference victory for Carroll, which completed its second straight sweep to improve to 4-0 in the league standings and 14-8 overall.
Junior right fielder Annika Graves (Muskego, Wis.) went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a stolen base to power Carroll's aggressive 10-hit offensive attack.
Sophomore winning pitcher Lexy Kemnitzer (McFarland, Wis.) and sophomore left fielder Rosalie Jrolf (Dousman, Wis.) each went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Pioneers, who pounded out 10 hits. Junior first baseman Kelsey Edwards (Rockford, Ill.) also drove in two runs.
Wheaton collected the first two runs of the contest in the top of the first inning as sophomore first baseman Morgan Ryan delivered an RBI double to center field and later scored as the result of a throwing error.
Carroll trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first on a run-scoring double to left-center field by Kemnitzer.
Edwards had a game-tying RBI sacrifice fly and sophomore designated hitter Ashley McNamara (Batavia, Ill.) scored the go-ahead run on a fielding error as the Pioneers answered with a two-run rally in the second.
Wheaton scored on a passed ball to tie the game 3-3 in the top of the third.
Carroll responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to regain a 5-3 lead, including an RBI single by Jrolf and what proved to be a game-winning run-scoring single to center field by Edwards.
The Pioneers added two runs in the fourth as Graves successfully stole home to complete a double-steal and Jrolf followed with an RBI single to right-center field.
Kemnitzer added a run-scoring single in the sixth to help ensure a victory for the Pioneers.
Wheaton scored its final run in the seventh on an RBI single to right field by Ryan but couldn't complete the rally.
Kemnitzer, a right-hander who improved to 7-3 overall, allowed two earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks through four complete innings. Sophomore right-hander Amanda Osterhus (Munster, Ind.) - coming off a no-hitter in the opener - earned a save by yielding one earned run on two hits with four strikeouts and one walk in pitching the final three innings.
Ryan went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs for Wheaton, which dropped to 0-4 in conference and 4-18 overall.