GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Carroll College Softball team earned their first win of the 2025 season, before ultimately splitting an evening doubleheader against Ottawa (Ariz.) in Glendale, Ariz. on Tuesday.

Playing their second of four doubleheaders over the course of the week, the Fighting Saints (1-3) picked up win No. 1 on the season in the afternoon tilt with the Spirit (4-2) before dropping the nightcap in five.

GAME ONE:

Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / SR) got things started with a bang in the early game. Batting second in the order, the '24 All-CCC selection mashed a solo shot (2) to left-center, giving the Saints an early 1-0 lead.

Carroll would add another pair of runs in the second inning as a two out Liz Ybarra (Fullerton, Calif. / SR) double into the gap in left would bring home Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / JR) and Kati Slater (Yamhill, Ore. / JR) to extend their lead to 3-0 after two.

Morgan Sunchild (Great Falls, Mont. / JR) got another rally started in the third inning, with a base knock that scored one from first before advancing all the way to third on some poor throwing decisions. Labrum doubled to left center in the next at bat, scoring Sunchild, before crossing home plate herself on a Slater single just one batter later to double the lead at 6-0 after three.

Carroll added their seventh run of the game in the sixth inning, as OUAZ walked in a run with the bases loaded.

RHP Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / JR) was phenomenal in her second start, grabbing her first victory of the season. The junior punched out five, while allowing just five hits and pair of walks in her complete game effort. Venner held OUAZ scoreless through six, before the Spirit finally scored in the bottom of the seventh as Carroll rolled to the 7-1 win.

 Sammie Labrum was 2-2 at the plate with a pair of walks, driving home one RBI on the afternoon, with Kati Slater going 2-3 with one RBI and a walk behind her in the eight-hole.

GAME TWO:

Fortunes would flip in the second game of the doubleheader, as the Spirit would cruise to a five inning, 8-0 run-rule win.

After an error on the first batter of the day, the Saints would give up three in the bottom half of the first inning. Savannah Sutton brought home the first run with a single into right, before a passed ball would allow one more run to cross in the next at bat. Isabella Rodriguez singled in the third run of the frame and OUAZ would carry a 3-0 advantage into the third.

Wild pitches, stolen bases, and small ball gave the Spirit another three runs in the third. Rodriguez brought home one on a sac fly, before a wild pitch scored the second. Ashley Higdon picked up an RBI single and the OUAZ lead doubled to 6-0 after three.

The Spirit added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth on RBI singles by Dayzee Wong and Alyssa Ramsey to stretch their lead to nine ahead of a 1-2-3 top of the fifth inning to secure the run-rule win.

Carroll struggled to get anything going in the second game, going just 4-16 as a team.

The Saints will now have a rest day ahead of a Thursday evening doubleheader at Arizona Christian starting at 4:30 p.m.

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

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