WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll's softball team celebrated Senior Day Saturday afternoon by winning one of two games against North Park Universit. The Pioneers rallied to force extra innings in the first game, before losing 4-3 in nine frames. Carroll would win the nightcap 6-2 to earn the split.
GAME ONE
Carroll (12-16, 3-5 CCIW) scored the first run of the day in the bottom of the first of the opening game when
Gianna Buske scored on a single by
MK Dusza. North Park (14-16, 3-7 CCIW) would tie the score in the fourth on a solo home run by Kathryn Keehn. The Vikings would add an RBI single later in that inning to take their first lead of the day.
Carroll tied things up in the sixth when
Kali Stanchina came up clutch with a two-out single, allowing Buskie to score, after her double led off the inning.
The two teams battled into extra innings, with North Park finally breaking through with an RBI double in the top of the ninth. Keehnn added a run-scoring single later in the inning to give the Vikings a much-needed insurance run. The Pioneers battled in the bottom of the ninth, scoring on a two-out fielding error, but they would strand the potential-tying run as the final out was recorded.
Carroll finished the game with six hits. Buske led the way, going 2-for-4 at the plate, with two runs scored.
Riley Pavelka started in the circle and went four innings in the no-decision, allowing two earned runs and striking out four.
Mya Schneider added 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, in which she allowed just two hits.
GAME TWO
The Pioneers salvaged the split with a 6-2 win in the nightcap, in which they never trailed. Carroll started the scoring in the top of the third, as
Kayla Holmes drove in a pair of runs with a single to right center and
Madison Hoagland scored on a passed ball. Two innings later, Hoagland deposited the ball over the left centerfield fence for her first collegiate home run.
North Park would get on the board in the fourth on a single to right center, before cutting the lead to two on a sac fly in the fifth. Carroll then tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh when
Madison Strampe singled up the middle, allowing Stanchina and
Kiana Johnson to cross the plate.
Carroll recorded eight hits in the contest, with Hoagland going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Curtis also had a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-4 from her lead-off spot.
The Pios will be in action again on Monday when they'll host Wheaton (IL) in a doubleheader. Those games will begin at 3 p.m. from Kilgour Field in Waukesha, Wis.
