ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst softball team opened CCIW play by splitting a doubleheader with Carthage College.
 
Elmhurst won the opening contest 5-0 behind Emily Despain's shutout, before dropping the night cap 3-1. The Bluejays moved to 9-9 on the season and 1-1 in the CCIW while Carthage improved to 10-8 overall and 1-1 in league play.
 
ELMHURST 5, CARTHAGE 0 (Game One) – Emily Despain shut down Carthage's bats while pitching Elmhurst to a 5-0 victory in game one.
 
Despain did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and surrendered just four hits for the entire contest.  The allowed just one walk while fanning three. Despain improve to 2-3 on the season with the win and recorded her first shutout of her collegiate career.
 
Elmhurst grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second with a pair of runs. Sydney Ruotsi led off the inning with a double and scored on a Carthage error. Lauren Rismondo added an RBI single to drive in Tara Cannella.
 
The Bluejays doubled their lead with one swing of Mikayla Melone's bat in the fifth. After a one-out double from Rebekah Ondracek, Melone smashed a two-run homer off the foul pole in left field to give the Bluejays a 4-0 lead.
 
A two-out RBI single from Val Perrelli accounted for the Bluejays' final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth.

Stephanie Sturino led Elmhurst at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a run scored. Melone and Rismondo collected two hits apiece in the Elmhurst win.
 
CARTHAGE 3, ELMHURST 1 (Game Two) – Carthage earned the doubleheader split by taking game two 3-1.
 
Elmhurst grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With two outs and Bri Getzloff on first base, Ondracek singled into right centerfield, moving Getzloff to third. The relay throw from Carthage was wild, allowing Getzloff to score on the play.
 
Carthage scored its first runs of the day in the bottom of the second. With one out and two runners on, Rachel Fanella delivered an RBI single to pull the Lady Reds even at 1-1.  A sacrifice fly from Brooke Sefcik put Carthage in front 2-1.
 
Elmhurst had chances to pull even in the third, fourth innings and sixth innings, but the Bluejays stranded runners in scoring position in each frame. In total, Elmhurst left seven runners on base.
 
Carthage tacked on an insurance run on Brooke Sefcik's RBI double in the seventh to make the final score 3-1.
 
Tara Cannella, Val Perrelli and Ondracek recorded two hits apiece to pace the Bluejays at the plate.
 
Stefanie Sanidas took the loss from circle, dropping to 5-4 on the season. Sanidas scattered seven hits and three runs over six innings of work. She walked two and struck out one.
 
Elmhurst travels to Millikin University on Sunday, March 2.