WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll's softball team won Amy Gradecki's final home game as the Pioneers' Head Coach Sunday afternoon, salvaging a doubleheader split against Millikin with an 8-2 victory. Gradecki, who has announced her plans to retire at the end of this season, is the program's winningest (273 victories) and longest-tenured (16 years) Head Coach.

GAME ONE
The Pioneers dropped the day's first game by a score of 4-2. Millikin struck first in that contest, breaking a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning on an RBI single to center field. Carroll would tie the game in the following inning on a sac bunt by Val Osthoff, which allowed Gianna Buske to score.

Millikin then added three runs in the fifth inning, which saw the Big Blue score on a tiple down the right field line and a two-run double to right center. Carroll tried to battle back, but could only muster one more run, as Abby Curtis scored in the sixth on an RBI single by Osthoff.

Curtis finished with two of Carroll's five hits, with Osthoff, Buske, and Madison Hoagland recording the others. Making the final home start of her career, senior Riley Pavelka (8-7) went the distance, allowing four runs on nine hits, while striking out six batters.

GAME TWO
The second game of the day saw Carroll score early and often. The Pios got off to a good start with one run in the top of the first, scoring on a fielding error, which allowed Buske to cross the plate. The Pios added two more runs in the second on a single off the bat of Osthoff.

Millikin got on the board in the fourth on an RBI single to center, but Carroll would get that run back in the fifth on a single by Kiana Johnson. Madison Strampe and Burtis also added RBI in that inning to give the Pios a 6-1 advantage.

The Big Blue's only other run in the game came in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to left field. Carroll would add two more insurance runs in the seventh, scoring on an Osthoff double and a groundout by Buske.

Carroll tied a season-high with 15 hits in the game. MK Dusza led the way with a 3-for-5 effort, while Osthoff went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Curtis, Strampe, and Kaylee Baker also recorded two hits apiece, with Baker scoring a game-high two runs. Freshman Makayla Wall (6-11) earned the win, allowing just one earned run on eight hits in the complete game, while striking out six.

That concludes the Pioneers' 2025 regular season, but they can still reach the postseason with some help, depending on what happens in Wednesday's doubleheader between North Park and Wheaton.