BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Sophomore right-hander Amanda Osterhus (Munster, Ind.) pitched a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts and two walks as the Carroll University softball team upset No. 17-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University 4-0 in the opening game of a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin doubleheader Saturday afternoon.
It was the eighth shutout of the season for Carroll, which improved to 6-1 in the conference standings and 18-9 overall.
The gritty, road victory took on added significance as Osterhus, who improved to 10-4 overall, established a single-season program record for strikeouts with 151 - shattering the prior record of 141 set by former standout Sarah Pautz in 1995.
Carroll collected what proved to be the winning run in the top of the fifth on a two-out RBI single to left field by junior center fielder Rosie Craine (Wheaton, Ill.).
Junior catcher Veronica Rodriguez (South Bend, Ind.) added a two-out, three-run home run in the top of sixth to break game wide open.
Craine, sophomore third baseman Lexy Kemnitzer (McFarland, Wis.) and freshman shortstop Jordan Wermund (Stevensville, Mich.) each had two hits for Carroll, which had eight hits and didn't commit an error.
Senior right-hander Mackenzie Marquis pitched a six-hitter through 5 2/3 innings in taking the loss for Illinois Wesleyan, which dropped to 8-1 in conference and 18-8 overall.