ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Carroll University softball team fell back by two games in the standings in a Sunday doubleheader at Augustana.
GAME 1
The Pioneers (14-19, 6-7 CCIW) fell back below .500 in conference after a 4-12 loss to the Vikings in six innings. The Vikings picked up the run rule after a five-run sixth inning.
Riley Pavelka was keyed with the loss, but both she and
Andrea Kuhne sacrificed six earned runs in the game. Pavelka fanned four over 21 batters faced. Carroll's offense did however put together eight hits, led by
Sydney Raddeman's two doubles, two runs, and an RBI. Carroll batters struck out six times and left five runners stranded.
The Pioneers started quickly, putting up two runs on the Vikings thanks to back-to-back doubles by
Lauren Harshbarger and Raddeman. Then a ground-out RBI from
Bridget Rath scored Raddeman two at-bats later. Augie quickly responded picking up a run the next half inning on a solo home run to left field.
The Vikings took over the lead in the bottom of the second, fueled by a leadoff double. The Vikings scored three runs in the inning to take a 4-2 lead. Rath came back the next inning and scored Raddeman from second on an RBI single to make it 4-3.
Kaitlyn Reed's pinch-running helped tie the game for the Pios in the top of the fourth with two outs.
The Augie offense stormed back soon after, putting up two runs in the bottom of the fourth, one in the fifth, and five in the sixth to walk it off with a two-run home run to center field.
GAME 2
The Pioneers (14-20, 6-8 CCIW) came up empty in game two, falling 8-0 in five innings. Three Pio pitchers took to the circle but it was
Grace Bradley who received credit for the loss.
Bradley took the start and went 2.1 innings throwing 68 pitches to 15 batters. Pavelka stepped in to help get the final two outs of the third inning, and then
Breanna Roberts took over for the remainder of the afternoon.
Carroll only was able to pull together two hits, one from Raddeman and the other from Rath.
Augie struck right away, putting up a one-out solo shot to left in the second at-bat of the game. The Vikings quickly got the game to a 6-0 lead in the top of the third after Bradley faced four batters. Pavelka surrendered one hit and a walk to the Vikings in the third but surrendered a leadoff home run in the top of the fourth.
Down 0-8 in the bottom of the fifth, Rath led off with a first-pitch single through the right side to bring in some momentum.
Reagan Goluch also reached base safely and the Pios moved over to second and third with one out. However, two pop flys to the infield ended the contest early for Carroll.
The Pioneers will close out the last week of their regular season schedule at home, starting with a non-conference battle Tuesday afternoon against Wisconsin-Whitewater at Kilgour Field.
