HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Softball team picked up their first Cascade Collegiate Conference wins of the 2024 season, winning a pair against Bushnell on Friday afternoon at Centennial Park.

The Fighting Saints (5-12-1, 2-5) took advantage of beautiful weather and home field advantage, picking up their first wins of the conference slate over the Beacons (6-15, 1-7).

GAME ONE:
Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / SO) pitched a gem in the first game of the afternoon, earning a shutout victory in the first game at City Field this season. The sophomore was electric, punching out 11 batters while giving up just two hits and two walks.

The Carroll bats were still a bit sleepy, as has been the case in recent games, but errors on the Beacon side would open the door for a pair of runs in the third inning that would prove to be more than enough for the Saints to win. An error deep in the outfield saw a ball squirt away from the right fielder and allowed Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / JR) to advance all the way to third. She scored just one batter later on a throwing error in the infield. Carroll added its second run on a double-steal with runners on the corners. The runner on first drew enough attention for a pickle situation, allowing Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / SO) to sneak home in the process.

GAME TWO:
A comeback effort was needed from the Saints in the second game, as Carroll found themselves down 3-0 heading into the bottom half of the fifth.

Sammie Labrum  knocked in the first run of the game for the Saints with a hot shot up the middle, cutting into the Beacon lead, 3-1.

Carroll stayed hot in the sixth, rallying for three runs to flip the script heading into the final frame. Carlee Smith (Blackfoot, Idaho / FR) led the scoring with a pinch-hit RBI single. A Bushnell error allowed a second run to cross home just a couple batters later, before Kenna Thomas delivered the game-winning RBI to complete the Carroll comeback.

Janey Adair (Laramie, Wyo. / SO) struck out two in the seventh, securing the second win of the day for the Saints.

The two teams will meet again in the morning, finishing the weekend series with a doubleheader at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com for a recap of the games, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.