Kenosha, Wis. – The Thunder softball team traveled to Carthage College for a CCIW doubleheader against the Firebirds on Tuesday afternoon. Carthage (7-5, 5-3 CCIW) earned a 4-1 victory in the opener and the hosts picked up a 6-3 victory in the nightcap to accomplish a sweep of the twinbill. Wheaton is now 9-7 on the season, with a 6-4 record in CCIW play.
Carthage won the first game 4-1 as the hosts scored four runs, on eight hits with no errors and the Thunder tallied one run, on six hits, with two errors. Thunder starting pitcher
Ashley Carter (2-2) allowed three runs, including one earned run. She scattered four hits with two strikeouts and three walks allowed.
Alese Antonello pitched 3-2/3 innings of relief as she allowed one unearned run on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
Melissa Meiners and
Janette Oh each hit doubles for the Thunder.
Emilie Gist,
Claire Busch,
Madison Forberg and
Sydney Heinrich each collected a single for the guests.
Carthage scored one run in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead. The Firebirds added a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Meiners led off the top of the seventh inning with a double down the leftfield line and
Sydney Broderick pinch ran for her. Two at bats later, Forberg hit a single down the rightfield line that brought Broderick home to cut the Carthage lead to 4-1. Oh hit a double to leftfield that sent Forberg to third base. Carthage induced a popup for the final out of the game to earn the 4-1 victory.
Carthage won Tuesday's second game 6-3. The Firebirds scored six runs, on 10 hits, with one error and Wheaton recorded three runs, on eight hits, with one error.
Emilie Gist (6-3) started in the circle for the Thunder as she allowed six runs, including five earned runs in seven innings. She scattered 10 hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.
Meiners was 2-for-4, including a double with a run driven in. Forberg was 2-for-3 in the contest. Busch hit a double and drove in two runs. Gist, Oh and
Alex Hilton each hit a single as Gist scored twice and Hilton crossed the plate once.
Carthage scored a run in the top of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Wheaton tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the third. Meiners hit a clutch two-out double in the third inning to tie the contest. Carthage added three runs in the top of the fourth inning to regain the lead with a 4-1 edge over the Thunder.
Gist scored a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to trim the Firebirds' lead to 4-2. Carthage added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend the hosts' lead to 6-2. Gist hit a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh and scored on a double down the rightfield line by Busch to cut the hosts' lead to 6-3. Carthage induced a ground out on the following at bat to secure the 6-3 victory and the sweep on its home field.
Wheaton returns to action Thursday at Ruth Leedy Field. The Thunder hosts North Park for a CCIW doubleheader that is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m.
