FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Apr. 15, 2009-- The North Central College softball team pounded out 20 hits and scored 22 runs en route to a doubleheader sweep of North Park University in the Cardinals' College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin home opener at Shanower Field. North Central blanked the Vikings 8-0 in game one and used a pair of five-run innings in game two for the 14-3 victory.

North Central scored six runs in the first two innings to come away with the shutout victory in the mercy-rule shortened opening game. The Cardinals got the ball rolling early, plating the game's first run after a sacrifice fly by Laura Whitfield drove in Katie Pappa, who had led off the inning with a base hit. The home side would add an additional run later on in the first, when a Viking fielding error allowed Erin Drennan to score. The Cardinals would continue to pile on the runs, needing just two hits to plate four runs in the second inning to take a commanding 6-0 lead.

In the third, Alyssa Rabulinski hit a one-out double to left field, scoring the very next at-bat after a Laura Constantine double to center field drove her home. The Cardinals would end the game in the fifth with Rabulinski hitting her second double of the game; scoring Sammie Bloomfield with one out, getting the necessary eight runs for the mercy-rule to take effect.

Holly Roadruck (7-4) pitched all five innings to pick up the win, allowing just two hits for her first shutout of the season while Tatum Sexton (2-5) took the loss, tossing four and one-third innings and allowing seven earned runs. Offensively, Rabulinski and Constantine led the team, each going two-for-two at the plate with an RBI.

The Cardinals wasted little time in game two, scoring five runs in the opening frame in the team's second highest offensive output of the season. Kara Reid opened up the scoring in the first, driving in two after hitting a one-out double to right field. The team took advantage of Viking miscues to keep the inning alive, plating three more runs, all of which were unearned. North Park threatened in the bottom half of the inning after loading the bases but where unable to come away with anything for its efforts.

In the third, a Reid single down the right field line scored Whitfield, who had reached base on an error to lead off the inning. A Rabulinski groundout scored Reid while a Constantine single, drove in the innings third and final run. North Park broke up the shutout in the bottom of the third, scoring an unearned run on a fielding error to cut the lead to just 8-1. The Cardinals would respond in the fourth with a Whitfield solo home run before piling on five more runs in the top of the fifth to take the 14-1 lead.

The Vikings attempted a late rally, scoring two runs in the fifth but were unable to muster any more offense, as Whitfield made the final out to preserve the mercy-rule win.

Brianna Nicholson (7-3) went the distance in the circle, allowing just two earned runs and striking out three for the win. Her counterpart, Mallory Bieritz (3-6) took the loss, pitching all five innings and allowing five earned runs.

Reid finished the game three-for-four with four RBIs to lead the Cardinal offensive attack as eight individuals recorded a hit in the game.

With the sweep, North Central improves to 15-7 overall and 7-1 in conference while North Park drops to 9-11 and 1-3 in CCIW action. The Cardinals are now 22-0 against the Vikings since 2000, including 10 shutouts while outscoring the local rivals 132-13 since 2003. The Cardinals return to the diamond tomorrow, traveling to Bloomington, Ill. where the team will clash against conference-leading Illinois Wesleyan University in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.