Although she was hitting at a .424 clip going into Tuesday night’s twinbill at Kennedy, Prairie sophomore Gabi Carter says she’s been a little disappointed in her season.

“The beginning of the year I was struggling,” she said. “So I sat myself down and re-evaluated.

“I decided I wasn’t going to try to be the big home-run hitter and try to hit everything out. Instead, I just want to hit the ball hard and get on base and move my teammates on.”

Batting in the third spot, she did that and more as she almost single-handedly crushed the Cougars.

Carter clouted three two-run doubles in Prairie's 16-6 win in the opener and came back with another two-run double along with an RBI single in the 8-2 second game victory.

“I try not to over-think when I’m up there,” she said. “I just want to hit the ball where it’s pitched.”

And besides wielding a smoking bat, Carter tossed a complete game on the mound in the nightcap and was dominant most of the way.

“These were her best games at the plate. And I think that helped her pitching,” said Prairie Coach Joe Yegge.

"It was her best night on the mound, too. She kept the ball down all night.”

The Hawks (15-7, 11-5 MVC) jumped out early in the opener, scoring three runs in the first inning on Carter’s first double and a single by leading hitter Malia Gudenkauf.

They scored five more in the second on another Carter two-bagger and just one other hit. Three walks, a wild pitch and a bases-loaded error led to the other scores.

“It was not one of our best games defensively,” said Kennedy Coach Katie Bova. “We’ve struggled on defense and beat ourselves on fundamentals.

“But credit Prairie. You can’t defend balls hit into the gap, and they seemed to hit open spots all night.”

While she made an out in-between, Carter banged her third double in the sixth inning as Prairie tacked on five more runs to close the blowout.

Even with the six-inning rout, Yegge was not satisfied.

“It wasn’t our best effort, especially on defense,” he pointed out. “Defense has been our strong suit all season. Not in the first game, but I blame that on not playing for eight days.”

Behind Carter’s pitching, the defense was solid in the second game.

“I’m not a strikeout pitcher,” she said. “I don’t try to overpower the hitters.”

She retired the first eight batters she faced until Cougar pitcher Taylor Sohn got on base with a dribbler past the mound in the third inning.

Kennedy (6-14, 4-10) did manage a run in the fourth on three hits and another in the seventh on two hits.

Carter, however, provided all the offensive firepower Prairie needed with a run-producing single in the first inning and her fourth double of the evening in the three-run fifth inning.

“I’d say this was one of my better nights,” she said. “I’m pretty pleased.”

GAME 1

PRAIRIE (16): Lash, 2 2 0 0, Jones, 3 3 0 1, Carter, 4 2 3 6, Gudenkauf, 1 0 1 1, Rumer, 4 2 3 1, Usher, 3 2 1 1, Wahlert, 0 0 0 0, Lueck, 3 2 1 1, O'Brian, 4 2 2 1, Stecklein, 3 0 0 0, Thumann, 3 1 1 0. Totals 30 16 12 12.

KENNEDY (6): Drahn, 3 2 2 1, Kubovec, 4 0 1 0, Hamilton, 4 0 2 1, Rathjens, 3 0 1 1, McKinnon, 3 1 1 0, Coker, 3 0 1 0, Harberts, 2 1 0 0, Steinke, 3 1 0 0, Sohn, 3 1 3 0. Totals 28 6 11 3.

Prairie       350 305 - 16 12 2
Kennedy   121 200 -  6 11 3

Kuch and O'Brian. Crist and Coker. W-Kuch. L-Crist. 2B-Carter 3, Usher, O'Brian. 3B-Rumer. SB-Lash, Usher, Lueck 2, McKinnon.

GAME 2

PRAIRIE (8): Lash, 4 1 2 0, Jones, 3 1 1 1, Carter, 4 1 1 2, Thumann, 1 1 1 0, Rumer, 2 0 2 3, Digman, 1 1 0 0, Usher, 3 1 1 0, Wahlert, 1 0 0 0, Lueck, 3 0 1 1, O'Brian, 3 0 1 0, Stecklein, 2 1 1 0, Gudenkauf, 2 0 0 0, Mahnke, 1 0 0 0, Pipolo, 0 1 0 0, Moenk, 1 0 0 0, Stevenson, 1 0 0 0. Totals 32 8 11 7.

KENNEDY (2): Drahn, 3 0 0 0, Kubovec, 3 0 0 0, Hamilton, 3 1 1 0, Rathjens, 3 0 1 1, McKinnon, 3 0 1 0, Coker, 3 1 1 0, Harberts, 3 0 1 1, Steinke, 3 0 0 0, Sohn, 2 0 1 0. Totals 26 2 6 2.

Prairie       300 131 0 - 8 11 0
Kennedy   000 100 1 - 2  6 3

Carter and O'Brian. Sohn and Coker. W-Carter. L-Sohn. 2B-Carter, Lueck, Coker. SB-Lash, McKinnon.