Bloomington, Ill. – The Carroll University softball team finished up a grueling weekend road trip four hours away from Waukesha today. The Pioneers dropped both games in the doubleheader to Illinois Wesleyan by scores of 0-6 and 1-16.
The Pioneers (4-6, 1-3 CCIW) struggled to pick up hits today, finishing with only eight total.
Sierra Grubor and
Kaylee Learman both finished with three total for the day, with Learman's three coming in game two. Learman was the only one to supply an extra-base hit today, smacking a double in the bottom of the fifth of game two.
Bridget Rath supplied a sacrifice hit, while
Lyndsey Rost and
Sydney Raddeman stole a base.
Game 1
Amanda Osterhus started game one, but struggled with control, allowing six walks through three innings with a wild pitch and a hit batter. She did only allow one hit and one unearned run but was charged with the loss.
Mathena Higgins supplied the hitting in the first game, collecting two of the Pioneers' four of the game. After a leadoff single, and advancing to second, she was left on base after a strikeout ended the half-inning.
Osterhus worked out of trouble twice early on, loading the bases with one out in each of the first two innings. She was able to scathe by until the bottom of the fourth when she was replaced by
Grace Bradley after a leadoff walk. The Titans added six runs off of that leadoff walk in that inning. The Pios could not return the favor and were shutout in game one.
Game 2
After switching home and away, the Pioneers took the field for the top of the first, and
Breanna Roberts stepped the circle for the start. The Titans started with a leadoff home run off a 2-2 count.
Illinois Wesleyan added five more runs an inning later, and Roberts was replaced by Bradley after pitching the first 1.2 innings. Carroll had an opportunity to put runs on the board with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, but a popup and a ground out left three on base.
Four more Titans crossed the plate in the top of the fourth, to bring the lead to 10-0. Raddeman, Rost, and Higgins loaded the bases but a fly out to right field ended their chances.
Rachel Piontek came on in relief of Bradley, but allowed six more runs, including a three-run home run, in the top of the fifth. Roberts re-entered and picked up the final two outs to end the inning.
Learman's leadoff double sparked the Pio offense, leading to her scoring after
Sierra Grubor reached on a fielding error. The Pios had more chances to add more with runners on the corner, but Wesleyan recorded the final two outs.
The Pioneers will get the day off on Monday, before taking a trip to the University of Chicago for another doubleheader on Tuesday, March 30. Carroll is 1-3 against Chicago since 2005.
