GREAT FALLS, Mont. - The Carroll College Softball team fell in a pair of one run games to Providence on Friday afternoon, closing the door on their 2024 regular season.

The Fighting Saints (19-26-1, 12-15) were left with a sour taste in their mouths following two tough losses (9-8, 5-4) on Friday, but ultimately got the last laugh, finishing one spot ahead of the Argonauts in the CCC standings to secure the final spot in the upcoming postseason championship.

GAME ONE:
Continuing a bizarre trend this week, the Saints got their first run of the game thanks to an error by the Providence catcher to jump out in front early, 1-0.

Abbie Amend (Spokane, Wash. / SO) and Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / JR) each rattled off doubles in the second inning, Amend's scoring one and Thomas' bringing home two to extend the lead to 4-0 after two, but the Argos would cut that lead in half through three.

Sammie Labrum's (Kalispell, Mont. / SO) hot hitting carried into the game with an RBI single in the fourth inning, before the Saints added another easy run on a wild pitch for the fourth time in the last three games to jump back out to a 6-2 lead.

Both Kati Slater (Yamhill, Ore. / SO) and Liz Ybarra (Fullerton, Calif. / SO) added RBI singles in the top of the seventh, and Carroll appeared primed for the CCC sweep of their neighbors with an 8-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

The Argos, down to their final three outs, responded with seven runs on six hits and an error to stun the Saints and steal the final conference game of the season in an unlikely come from behind win.

Thomas was again impressive at the plate, going 3-5 with three hits, three runs and two RBI.

GAME TWO:
The non-conference bout between the teams was a pitchers' duel through the first three and a half frames, before the Argos broke things open in the home half of the fourth.

Three runs were scored on a single to right field, compounded by an error getting the ball back in resulting an a proverbial "little league home run", and the Argos would add two more runs later in the frame following another triple and error to lead 5-0.

Carroll's first run of the game came on a bases loaded walk, before Morgan Sunchild (Great Falls, Mont. / SO) added another with a sacrifice fly to center field, trimming the lead to 5-2.

The Saints managed to score twice in their final chance in the top of the seventh, including another walked-in run, but the rally would fall just short and Providence would escape with the 5-4 win.

For the second-straight year, the Saints have qualified for the CCC Championship. The Saints will once again make the long trek to Klamath Falls, Ore. for the tournament, hosted by the conference-winning Oregon Tech Owls. They will open the tournament against the third-seeded Yotes of the College of Idaho on May 3.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com for further information on the tournament schedule, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.