ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst softball team was eliminated from CCIW Tournament contention after dropping both ends of a doubleheader at Carthage College.

Needing at least a split to stay in the league's postseason tournament hunt, the Bluejays suffered an 8-1 loss in game one before closing the conference season with a 16-2 loss in game two. Elmhurst moved to 18-18 overall and 5-9 in the CCIW. Carthage improved to 18-18 and 7-7 in the CCIW.
 
CARTHAGE 8, ELMHURST 1 (Game One) – Elmhurst scored the game's opening run, but Carthage rattled off eight unanswered runs to take the opening contest 8-1.

Elmhurst wasted little time to get on the scoreboard. Bri Getzloff opened the game with a leadoff walk. She moved to second on a groundout and scored on Bekah Ondracek's RBI single up the middle.
 
Carthage answered back with a pair of runs in the second inning. An RBI single from Vivian Juarez and a sacrifice fly from Mackenzie Walker put the Lady Reds in front 2-1. The Lady Reds took advantage of an Elmhurst error in the fifth to tack on three unearned runs. Darian Pelsor capped the inning with a two-run homer. The Lady Reds tacked on three runs in the sixth to pull away for the seven-run victory.
 
Elmhurst was limited to just four hits in the loss with Crystal Marinelli recording two. Stefanie Sanidas took the loss for Elmhurst, allowing 11 hits and five runs (just two earned) in five innings of work. She walked one and struck out one.
 
The Bluejays struggled to hit Carthage's Katie Herron. Herron went the distance, allowing just four hits and one run in seven innings. She walked three and struck out eight.  Kristine Herdegen and Pelsor led the Lady Reds at the plate with three hits apiece.
 
CARTHAGE 16, ELMHURST 2 (Game Two) – Carthage finished the doubleheader sweep of the Bluejays by banging out 17 hits and scoring 16 runs in a 16-2 win over the Bluejays.
 
Carthage raced out to a 7-0 lead by scoring four in the first and three in the second. Pelsor drove in five runs over the two innings. She drove in two with a single and the first and cracked a three-run homer in the second.

Elmhurst got a run back in the second on Stephanie Sturino's RBI grounder but a two-run homer from Walker in the third gave the Lady Reds a 9-1 cushion. The Bluejays scored their final run in the fourth on Lauren Rismondo's solo homer down the left field line.
 
Carthage broke the game open in the seventh by sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs. Pelsor doubled twice in the inning, including a three-run double to spark the inning for Carthage.
 
Sturino took the loss for the Bluejays, allowing 10 hits and nine runs in 2.1 innings of work. She walked one and fanned one. Rismondo paced Elmhurst at the plate by finishing 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
Elmhurst closes out the 2016 season by playing at the University of Chicago on Saturday, April 30.