ELMHURST, Ill. - Senior catcher Veronica Rodriguez (South Bend, Ind.) went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and two RBIs to lead the Carroll University softball team to a 4-0 victory over Elmhurst College in the opening game of a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin doubleheader at Sand Creek Park on Saturday afternoon.
It was the third shutout victory of the season for Carroll, which won its fourth straight to improve to 5-2 in the conference standings and 18-10 overall.
The Pioneers scored two runs in the top of the first inning, adding single runs in the third and sixth to pull away.
Freshman designated hitter Katelyn Schneider (Sussex, Wis.) drove in what became the eventual winning run on an RBI fielder's choice and junior left fielder Rosalie Jrolf (Dousman, Wis.) had a run-scoring sacrifice fly to center field in the first.
Rodriguez hit a solo homer to left field - her first of the year - in the second and added a run-scoring double to left field in the sixth for the Pioneers, who collected seven hits.
Junior right-hander Amanda Osterhus (Munster, Ind.) pitched a four-hitter through five complete innings to earn the victory.
Osterhus, who improved to 10-5 overall, currently has a 1.72 earned run average with 124 strikeouts through 89 innings.