ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Sophomore right-hander Amanda Osterhus (Munster, Ind.) pitched a three-hitter with 17 strikeouts and two walks as the Carroll University softball team defeated Augustana College 2-0 in the opening game of a sunny College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin doubleheader at Carver Field on Tuesday afternoon.
It was the seventh consecutive victory for Carroll, which improved to 5-0 in the highly contested league standings and 17-8 overall.
The doubleheader, originally scheduled to be played at Carroll's Kilgour Field, was relocated to Augustana's venue because of snow covered grounds.
Osterhus, who improved to 9-4 overall, had a no-hitter working through 3 1/3 innings before giving up a one-out single in the top of the fourth.
The Pioneers, who have won 10 of their last 11 games, scored what became the winning run in the bottom of the first on a one-out RBI, bases-loaded sacrifice fly by sophomore designated hitter Ashley McNamara (Batavia, Ill.).
Freshman shortstop Jordan Wermund (Stevensville, Mich.) scored the winning run after advancing to second on back-to-back walks and taking third as the result of a wild pitch.
Sophomore third baseman Lexy Kemnitzer (McFarland, Wis.) added a solo home run - her first of the season - in the fifth for Carroll, which registered its seventh shutout.
Freshman Alivia Phelps pitched a four-hitter with one strikeout and seven walks in taking a complete-game loss for Augustana, which dropped to 3-4 in conference and 16-9 overall.