Kenosha, Wis. -- Fresh off of its home split with the Carroll Pioneers 48 hours earlier, the Wheaton softball team traveled north to face the other Wisconsin-based opponent in the conference, the Carthage Firebirds, in an afternoon twinbill. The hosting Firebirds won both of Thursday's contests in competitive battles to move to 19-11 overall and 7-5 in CCIW play. Today's defeats drop the Thunder's season record to an even 14-14 and 3-5 in conference games at the halfway point of the CCIW schedule.
Carthage captured the victory in game one at a 5-3 scoreline after only conceding one run to its visitor after the second inning. Both teams started quickly, with the Firebirds getting on the scoreboard in their opening batting series via a two-RBI double. But
Alese Antonello returned the favor in the top of the second frame to level the score, and Wheaton edged in front at 3-2 two innings later thanks to a
Paige Andrews RBI double that brought
Abby Whitehead home. The Thunder still led 3-2 in the sixth inning, but the home side moved in front for good after a sacrifice fly and two singles through the right side brought in three runs. Carthage then held Wheaton to a three-up, three-down series in the final frame to secure the come-from-behind win.
The Firebirds posted nine hits to Wheaton's five, and both sides committed one error. Wheaton managed to strand seven Carthage batters, while both teams walked two players from the opposite squad. The Firebirds stole two bags and prevented the Thunder from taking any of their own.
Andrews was an impressive 3-3 at the plate in game one while also contributing a RBI and scoring once. Antonello generated two RBI from her hit, and
Sydney Broderick was responsible for Wheaton's other hit in the first game today. Whitehead and
Megan Mosier each scored one run for the Thunder.
Contrary to the first contest, neither team scored in the opening two innings of Carthage's 8-4 game two win. But the sleepy start ended abruptly when the hosts registered the first hit in the top of the third frame and eventually poured in six runs to build a comfortable advantage.
Madison Forberg and
Olivia Nahorniak brought Wheaton back into the game with a RBI single and two-RBI double, respectively, in the bottom half that allowed the Thunder to halve the deficit. But just as it did in the first fixture on Thursday, the Carthage defense stepped up and limited its guest to a single score in the last four innings. A bases-loaded walk gave Wheaton its fourth run in the bottom of the sixth and put some pressure on the Firebirds. But another pair of scores in the top of the last inning gave Carthage the boost it needed to see out the sweep this evening.
The Firebirds posted an impressive total of 13 hits in the second game today, even with six of those coming in the high-scoring third inning, and Wheaton registered seven of its own. Both teams again committed a single error, and this time the two sides each left seven runners on base. Three batters from either side were walked, and Carthage stole two bases to the Thunder's one in the second contest.
Alese Antonello earned both of Wheaton's strikeouts from the circle in her 4.2 innings of relief, while the senior also registered a hit batting in the DP spot.
Abby Whitehead and
Elizabeth Meyer were both 2-3 at the plate in game two, with the latter stealing a base for the visitors on Thursday. Nahorniak brought in two runs from one hit, while Forberg had one run, one hit, and one RBI. Mosier,
Livi Figueroa, and
Isabel Hillyer each scored one time for Wheaton in game two.
Wheaton will begin the second half of its regular season conference slate with a home doubleheader against North Park on Friday, playing the two-parter that was postponed from April 3rd due to inclement weather. First pitch is scheduled for 3 PM tomorrow at Ruth Leedy Field.
