GREAT FALLS, Mont. - The Carroll Softball team picked up a pair of lopsided victories over Providence to open their final series of the 2024 regular season on Thursday afternoon in Great Falls.

The Fighting Saints (19-24-1, 12-14) snapped a seven-game skid on Thursday with 9-3, and 14-6 victories over the Argos.

GAME ONE:
Carroll found themselves down early, as the Argos went on top with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning.

Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / SO) scored on an error in the fourth, before Kaitlynn Ayers (Twin Falls, Idaho / SR) slapped an RBI single into center field to even the game up at 2-2.

Liz Ybarra's (Fullerton, Calif. / SO) RBI single in the sixth inning would give Carroll its first lead, 3-2, but Providence would respond in the bottom half of the frame to tie things up at 3-3 heading into the final inning.

Carroll dominated the seventh.

Labrum started the big inning with an RBI double, and Kati Slater (Yamhill, Ore. / SO) brought her home a few batters later to give Carroll the 5-3 lead. Ellie Koerber (Billings, Mont. / JR) scored on a wild pitch. Brookelynn Jackson (Keizer, Ore. / FR) blasted a two-RBI double, and then Alyssa Lybbert (Las Vegas, Nev. / JR) put the exclamation point on the 9-3 win with an RBI single of her own.

Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / SO) struck out seven in the complete game win, while Labrum led the offense going 3-4 with an RBI and three runs scored.

GAME TWO:
The second game featured runs aplenty, but luckily for Saints fans the majority were posted by the Purple and Gold.

Brookelynn Jackson scored the game's first run on a passed ball, and then Kati Slater was hit by a pitch to bring home the second. Morgan Sunchild (Great Falls, Mont. / SO) picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice, and the Saints would leave the first with a 3-0 lead.

Sunchild, playing in her hometown, added a solo shot in the third inning to extend the lead to 4-0.

An error would lead to Providence's first run, and the Argos would capitalize on the mistake with an RBI double as well to cut the lead in half, 4-2.

Another four run inning was on deck for the Saints in the fourth, led by a Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / JR) solo homer to start the run. With the bases loaded, another hit batter would send a run home, followed by a walked-in run, and ultimately a third hit batter would bring home one more to give Carroll a commanding 8-2 lead.

A pair of doubles and a single would lead to a four-run inning for the Argos in the fifth, trimming the lead to 8-6, but Carroll would shut the door in the seventh with yet another big inning.

Labrum continued her hot streak at the plate with an RBI single, Carlee Smith (Blackfoot, Idaho / FR) drove home two runs on a single to left, and Kenna Thomas provided the dagger with a two-run double as the Saints marched to a 14-6 win.

Abbie Amend (Spokane, Wash. / SO) picked up the win, punching out six in the complete game. Kenna Thomas went 2-3 with three walks, three runs, and three RBI.

The teams will wrap up the regular season tomorrow in an afternoon doubleheader.

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