MILWAUKEE – Taking the field for the first time in almost three weeks, the MSOE softball team was ready to get their home slate started with a pair of wins. While they didn't quite accomplish that, the Raiders still played good ball and came away with a split against Carthage on Saturday afternoon.

RESULTS

Game One (8 Innings)

Carthage – 2
MSOE Raiders – 0

Game Two

Carthage – 5
MSOE Raiders – 6

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game one was a straight up pitchers duel, with neither team willing to give up the first run. MSOE (7-5, 0-0 NACC) was kept quite for most of the game, only managing to collect three hits through 26 at bats. Carthage (10-4, 0-0 CCIW) on the other hand placed nine runners on base via hit but couldn't push a run across in regulation. The game went to extras where the Lady Red's second batter in the top of the eighth reached base with a double, right before a two-run homer gave them the lead for good in the 2-0 MSOE loss.

The second game of the afternoon was also scoreless for the first three frames before things started to heat up. Carthage drew first blood, scoring three in the top of the fourth to give them the initial lead. The Raiders got one back thanks to two straight doubles by Lauren Stefanczyk (Palmyra, Wis./Palmyra-Eagle) and Amanda Manssen (Bull Valley, Ill./McHenry West) in the bottom half of the inning to put MSOE only down two. The Red & White bats went to work the very next inning, plating four to take the lead for the first time all afternoon 5-3. Carthage tied up the ballgame with a run in both the top of the sixth and seventh, putting MSOE in prime walk off territory. Rachel Ziemba (South Elgin, Ill./South Elgin) led off the bottom half of the seventh with a walk, before getting moved over via a nicely placed bunt. Manssen made the most of the runner in scoring position singling to right center to give the Raiders a 6-5 victory.

TEAM STAT OF THE GAME

Before this afternoon, the Raiders had gone 27 straight games without being on the losing end of a shutout. The last scoreless game for MSOE was back on April 20, 2018 against Marian.

RAIDER STAT TRACKER – 2 Game Totals

Kara McKenna (Downers Grove, Ill./South)– 3 hits
Lauren Stefanczyk – 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI
Amanda Manssen – 2 hits, 2 RBI, 1 walk
Emily Wiederholt (Cuba City, Wis./Cuba City)– 7.1 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 4 strikeouts.

WHO'S ON DECK?

The Raiders will look to get two more wins when they travel to Beloit for a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is slated for 1:00 pm.

For up-to-the-minute MSOE Raiders news, visit us at www.go-raiders.com. You can also follow the Red & White on Twitter @MSOE_Raiders and @msoe_raiders on Instagram.