WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University softball team took down Wheaton College in two straight games to move back to .500 in the CCIW standings Tuesday night.
GAME 1
The Pioneers (10-13, 3-4 CCIW) used a quick start and supporting runs to cruise past Wheaton in game one, 5-1.
Riley Pavelka secured win number three of the season in a complete-game effort.
Pavelka pitched seven strong innings, allowing seven hits, and one earned run, all while striking out seven batters.
Sydney Raddeman and
Lauren Harshbarger both had multi-hit games and doubles.
Abby Curtis and Raddeman each stole a bag as well.
The Pios took control after Curtis led off with a walk and stole second. With Raddeman singling and stealing second as well, a tricky SAC bunt situation caused Curtis to score from third.
Kiana Johnson sent in Raddeman with a ground out and the Pios were up 2-0 after one.
Back-to-back doubles by Raddeman and Harshbarger put one more run on the board for the Pios, but Harshbarger was called out on the base paths trying to stretch it into a triple.
Pavelka surrendered two hits and a walk in the top of the fourth to allow the Thunder's one and only run, but Carroll added security in the bottom half of the inning.
Madison Palasz smacked a double to left to score
Antoinette Napoli from first, and Curtis sent in Palasz two at-bats later.
Pavelka put the Thunder away in the seventh with two ground balls, a walk, and a fly out to center field.
GAME 2
The Pioneers (11-13, 4-4 CCIW) continued their small-ball approach in game two, shutting out Wheaton 3-0.
Grace Bradley picked up her second complete-game shutout of the season.
Bradley went seven strong allowing just five hits from the Thunder while striking out four on exactly 100 pitches. Curtis stole second base twice while three Pios recorded sacrifice hits. Harshbarger and Curtis both tallied three hits in game two.
Both teams had chances early in the first inning to put runs across, but the Pios eventually struck first in the top of the second, after two throwing errors by the defense, Napoli scored in two plays.
Curtis led off the top of the fifth with a single to left, and was sent in two at-bats later by Johnson's RBI single to make it a 2-0 ballgame. Carroll added one more in the top of the seventh after Curtis scored on an error by the right fielder of the Thunder.
Bradley and the defense almost had an errorless game but the Pios put one on in the bottom of the seventh due to a throwing error. The defense held together and got the final two outs to get the sweep.
The Pioneers will travel to Chicago on Thursday to take a break from the CCIW and take on the University of Chicago Maroons.
