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Contact: Louis Groce, Graduate Assistant to the Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

DECATUR, Ill. (Apr. 20, 2013) – Vlasta Mangia tossed the fourth perfect game in program history and the North Central College softball team scored 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning of the nightcap to beat Millikin University 8-0 and 11-3 in a critical conference doubleheader.

Today's perfect game was the second no-hitter thrown by Mangia (18-2) this season and the third of the year for the Cardinals (27-3, 5-3).  Mangia struck out just three in the seven-inning perfecto.  The sweep of the Big Blue (17-8, 5-5) was a big one for the Cardinals.  Entering the doubleheader the Cardinals were a full game back of Millikin in the CCIW race. 

Tara Sears got the Cardinals on the board in the second inning courtesy of an error by the Millikin defense.  North Central scored four more in the fifth.  Amanda Walker hit a bases loaded double to score three and Kiersten Tinkoff followed with a single to center to make the score 5-0. 

Carly Trenhaile and Cecie Portillo added RBI singles in the seventh to give the Cardinals a commanding 8-0 lead. 

In the nightcap, North Central was trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but exploded for 10 runs and won courtesy of the eight-run rule.  Portillo, Mangia, Walker, Olivia Goethals, and Kayla Antle all had RBI doubles in the inning.  Antle and Walker combined for four of the eight Cardinal hits in the inning.

Walker had five hits and four RBI on the afternoon, while Antle had four hits and three RBI.  With the two victories, Mangia moved into a tie for third place on the all-time wins list (46) and is just two back from tying the career leader, Chris Johnson.

North Central travels to Wheaton College on Monday for a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.