SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - The Carroll College Softball team earned a marathon 13-11 win over Bushnell on Saturday, taking the weekend series 2-1 in their first road conference matchup of the season.

The Fighting Saints (7-12, 4-5) outlasted the Beacons (6-14, 1-9) in an extremely rainy, high-scoring, three-hour marathon rubber match, to take their second CCC series of the season.

Carroll put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the first, as a Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / JR) single would lead to a throwing error an a run to cross home. The Saints scored in similar fashion in the second inning, as another error led to an early 2-0 lead.

Bushnell responded with a 2 RBI single from Taylor Kenworthy in the bottom half of the second, tying the game at 2-2 headed into a wild third inning.

After loading the bases, the Saints scored their first run of the frame on a Brynn Notbohm (Miles City, Mont. / FR) walk. Slater hit into a fielder's choice in the next at-bat, and following another Bushnell error two runs would score wwith Slater and Notbohm safely on base. Yet another error would plate two more runs for the Saints, putting Liz Ybarra (Fullerton, Calif. / SR) on first. Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / SR) knocked an RBI single into center to score Ybarra, before a Morgan Sunchild (Great Falls, Mont. / SR) single brought home Thomas to complete a seven-run frame for the Saints.

The Beacons would also light the scoreboard up in the bottom half of the third, batting around the order and then some to jump in front 11-9. RBI singles from Riley Peeler and Emily Cole plated the first two runs. A run was walked in, before Kenworthy added her third and fourth RBI's of the game on a double to right, and Violet Richardson blasted a bases-clearing 3 RBI double into the left center gap to put Bushnell in front 10-9, and end Kennedy Venner's (Billings, Mont. / JR). Mckinley Ermshar (Battleground, Wash. / FR) came in in relief, finally getting out of the long inning, but not before the Beacons added one more run on an error.

Trailing for the first time in the game, Morgan Sunchild would pull the Saints back to even at 11-11 in the top of the fifth inning, doubling up the middle to add another pair of RBI's to her tally.

An error by the Beacons in the sixth inning provided the Saints with the go-ahead run, before Slater added an insurance run on an RBI single into right, bringing the game to 13-11.

Ermshar was outstanding in her relief role, going 4.1 scoreless innings to earn her first collegiate win. The freshman allowed just four hits in her 18 batters faced, striking out three.

In total, the Saints went 13-35 on the day at the plate. Morgan Sunchild led the way with a 2-4 effort with three RBI's, while Taylor Sayers (Helena, Mont. / FR) went 2-3 with a pair of runs scored. 

The fourth game of the series, a non-conference matchup, was mutually agreed to be canceled due to the extremely rainy conditions.

The Saints will return to Helena, and will host Corban in a four-game series next Friday and Saturday.

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

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