WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University softball team went up against the Illinois Wesleyan Titans on Saturday, who are undefeated in conference play. The Pios had a rain delay in the second game that slowed their momentum.
GAME 1
It took nine innings of close softball but the Pioneers (12-15, 4-5 CCIW) fell to the Titans 3-2 in game one.
Riley Pavelka took the loss allowing just two earned runs with seven strikeouts. Pavelka threw 125 pitches against 40 batters faced.
Kiana Johnson recorded a team-high three hits with 2 RBI to lead the offense.
Abby Curtis stole a base while she and two other Pioneers laid down sacrifice bunts. Carroll only had one strikeout all game, but left nine runners stranded on base.
Two throwing errors by the Pioneers in the top of the second caused the Titans to strike first, but Pavelka stuck out the last batter of the inning to get out of potentially another jam. Carroll grabbed its first lead of the game thanks to Johnson's 2 RBI single through the left side to score Curtis and
Sydney Raddeman. The Titans, however, leveled the score a half-inning later after a leadoff double.
Both teams had runners on base over the ensuing innings but couldn't cash in during the pitchers' duel.
Bridget Rath helped keep the game tied with a perfect throw from right field to get a runner out at the plate. The Titans capitalized on a single to right center in the top of the ninth to take a one-run lead.
Mathena Higgins had a pinch-hit walk in the bottom of the ninth but no other Pioneers could get the runner in.
GAME 2
A costly rain delay took away the Pioneers' (12-16, 4-6 CCIW) momentum in game two, falling 1-5.
Grace Bradley gave up the three runs in the bottom of the second to take the loss.
Bradley started the first 3.2 innings but sacrificed seven hits and four earned runs.
Andrea Kuhne finished the game, allowing five hits while fanning three batters. Raddeman and
Madison Palasz both recorded doubles while Curtis stole another base.
Carroll took advantage early in the top of the first after a double by Raddeman and another RBI by Johnson. Carroll had runners on in the top of the second to try to extend their lead but came up short.
The umpires made a call to make a rain delay as a storm began to move in. After the delay, the Titans led off with a first-pitch homerun to left center that took the wind out of Carroll's sails. IWU scored twice more to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
Carroll went three-up and three-down the next two innings as Bradley was subbed out during another Titan scoring stretch. IWU took a 5-1 lead after five complete innings leaving Carroll with six outs to go. Palasz got a double off but a strikeout ended the inning. Carroll left a runner stranded in the top of the seventh with their final three outs.
Carroll will have two non-conference contests at Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Tuesday, April 18 in the Fox Valley area of the state.
