Elmhurst, Ill. – The Carroll University softball team split the season series with the Elmhurst Bluejays on Monday afternoon. The Pios won game one 10-4, but fell 2-4 in game two. Carroll recorded 17 hits in game one, tied for fifth-most all-time in a game. Head coach
Amy Gradecki recorded her 200th career win after the game one victory.
The Pioneers (10-10, 6-6 CCIW) split for the third time out of the last four doubleheaders, to remain at .500. On top of the 17 hits in game one, Carroll added nine more in game two for a total of 26.
Kaylee Learman combined for 6-7 at the plate, including two runs and two doubles.
Megan Funk tallied a career-high three hits in game one and smashed two doubles.
Claudia Spencer combined for four RBI in both games, while
Bridget Rath combined for two along with Funk. Rath,
Lyndsey Rost, and
Maria Mundt all collected stolen bases.
Game 1
The Pios got on the board after a lead off Rath double led to Spencer's first RBI single. Spencer scored on a sierra Grubor single to the shortstop with the bases loaded. Learman walked for her first RBI to make it a 3-0 game after the top of the second. Carroll picked up one more with Funk's double to right-center to score Spencer.
Amanda Osterhus started the game in the circle and allowed four unearned runs in the bottom of the third. Osterhus got out of a bases-loaded jam with a three-pitch strikeout. Osterhus went on to finish the game cleanly, striking out 14 over 7 full innings of work for her fourth complete game in a row.
Carroll broke the tie a half-inning later with a four-run swing.
Allyssa Demma scored Grubor after her leadoff single. Rath singled through the right side to score Learman from third, and Spencer recorded a sacrifice fly to center field to score Demma. Funk's second RBI came off her second double to left-center to make the lead 8-4.
Carroll added two more runs in the top of the seventh with Rost scoring on a wild pitch, and Spencer brining Rath in on a groundout. Osterhus allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh but struck out the next three to take the win.
Game 2
The Pioneers jumped back on the scoreboard first in the first inning, as Rath drove in
Mathena Higgins after her lead-off walk.
Elmhurst tied the game in the bottom of the third on a single up the middle, but the run was unearned for
Grace Bradley after an error put the runner on base. Bradley pitched 3.2 innings allowing six runs, one earned run while striking out two.
An inning later, the Bluejays added one more that forced a pitching change to
Breanna Roberts. Carroll retied the game off of Spencer's double to deep center field that scored Learman unearned.
Elmhurst in the bottom of the fifth picked up two more runs to bring the lead up to 4-2. Carroll had two more opportunities to score, putting runners on base, but could not get the runs around as Roberts was given the loss.
The Pioneers will host North Park Tuesday, April 13 for the rescheduled doubleheader from the past weekend.
