ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst softball team's chances at a CCIW Tournament bid suffered a setback after the Bluejays dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Carthage College. Elmhurst fell 5-1 in the opening contest before dropping the night cap 3-2.
 
Elmhurst slipped to 18-14 overall and 3-7 in the CCIW with the losses. Carthage improved to 12-18 overall and 4-6 in the CCIW, vaulting the Bluejays the standings. Elmhurst now sits in sixth place in the standings and trails both Augustana and Carthage by a game for the fourth and final spot in the CCIW Tournament. Elmhurst has four games remaining in the CCIW.
 
CARTHAGE 5, ELMHURST 1 (Game One) – Carthage broke open a 1-1 tie with three runs in the fifth inning to pull away for a 5-1 victory in game one.
 
The Lady Reds struck for a run in the top of the third, but the Bluejays quickly evened the score in the bottom of the inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Meg Griffin came home to score when Ele Walter was caught in a rundown between first and second attempting to steal.
 
Carthage broke the 1-1 tie with one swing in the fifth inning. Tiffani Palmatier led off the inning with a solo homer to right field to put the Lady Reds in front 2-1. After a single, Carthage used back-to-back doubles from Kristine Herdegen and Becky Cronk to take a 4-1 lead. The Lady Reds added an insurance run in the top of the sixth to earn the four-run victory.
 
After loading the bases in the first and scoring a run in the third on two hits, the Bluejays managed just three hits over the final four innings.
 
Tiffany Potthast suffered the loss for Elmhurst, slipping to 7-4 on the year. She allowed seven hits and four runs over four innings of work while walking one and fanning one. Darian Pelsor (3-2) earned the win for Carthage, working six innings and allowing just four hits and no runs. She walked three and struck out two.
 
CARTHAGE 3, ELMHURST 2 (Game Two) – Carthage scored a run in each of the first three innings to finish the doubleheader sweep with a 3-2 victory in game two.
 
Elmhurst grabbed an early lead just three batters into the game. Bella Masini led off the game with a single and moved to second on Meg Griffin's groundout. Alyssa Jasinski singled up the middle to drive in Masini and give Elmhurst a quick one-run lead.  Elmhurst's lead was short lived as Sam Phelps singled home a run for Carthage in the bottom of the first to knot the score at one.
 
The Bluejays reclaimed the lead in the top of the second when Masini hit a two-out single to left to drive in Katie Boals. Carthage responded with a run in the bottom of the frame, evening the game at 2-2 on an Olivia Scott RBI double.

The Lady Reds went in front on a Makenzie Walker RBI single in the third, that proved to be the game-winning run.

Elmhurst threatened in the later innings, putting the first two batters on in the fifth before coming up empty. Elmhurst put two on with two out in the sixth and also failed to take advantage. Masini led off the seventh with a single but was stranded at first to end the game.
 
Masini led Elmhurst at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with four singles.
 
Boals took the loss for Elmhurst, falling to 4-6 on the season. She surrendered seven hits and three runs over six innings while walking one and striking out two. Walker picked up the victory for Carthage to improve to 4-8. She scattered seven hits and two runs while walking two and fanning two.

Elmhurst  travels to Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday, April 25.