ELMHURST, Ill. - Carroll University took both games of a CCIW doubleheader at Elmhurst on Friday afternoon, capitalizing on timely hits and extended innings to overcome early Bluejay leads.

Elmhurst opened strong in each game but couldn't hold off the Pioneers down the stretch, falling 7–3 in Game 1 and 5–4 in a dramatic 13-inning Game 2.

In the opener, Carroll (10–11, 1–0 CCIW) used a four-run third inning to break open a 1–1 tie and never looked back, while Elmhurst (5–15-1, 2–5 CCIW) chipped away but couldn't close the gap. Bailey Proffitt scored the game's first run and later added an RBI single in the fifth, while Ali Mockenhaupt knocked in the tying run in the first. Clara Rice added a sacrifice fly in the sixth, scoring Gianna Amundsen to make it 6–3, but Carroll tacked on another run in the seventh to seal it. Despite strong relief work from Emma Lenczewski, who allowed just one earned run in four innings, Carroll's six unearned runs were too much to overcome. Veronica Osthoff led the Pioneers with a three-run homer and four RBIs, while Kylie Hoyh (2–4) took the loss for Elmhurst.

The second game was a marathon battle that saw Elmhurst storm out to a 4–0 lead in the bottom of the first, powered by Danielle Hood's RBI double and Rice's two-run triple. Amundsen's sacrifice fly capped the inning. Carroll answered with a run in the bottom half and chipped away with another in the third. A two-run fifth inning, sparked by an Osthoff double and a sacrifice fly by Madi Strampe, tied it at 4–4. From there, the two teams locked into a scoreless deadlock that stretched eight more innings. Elmhurst had several chances with 17 hits in the game, including multi-hit efforts from Proffitt (3-for-7), Rice (2-for-6, 2 RBIs), and Hood (2-for-7), but left 17 runners on base. Hood, who moved from third base to the mound in the sixth, pitched over seven innings in relief but was tagged with the tough-luck loss after Carroll scored the winning run in the 13th on a fielder's choice.

Despite the sweep, Elmhurst had bright spots in the lineup. Proffitt continued her strong stretch at the plate with four hits and three stolen bases across the two games. Rice added three RBIs and a triple, and Amundsen remained steady in the heart of the order.

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