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

Apr. 18, 2009-- The North Central College softball team used a pair of big fourth innings to come away with a doubleheader sweep of local-rival Benedictine University, Saturday afternoon, in a non-conference match-up at Shanower Field. Katie Pappa belted three doubles in the opener, helping the team to a 10-1 victory in five innings while a pair of Kara Reid home run blasts, rallied the Cardinals to the 8-7 extra-innings victory to secure the sweep.

North Central wasted little time in game one, beginning the game with four straight base hits to take a 4-0 lead after just one inning of play. Kelli Lofgren led off with a single to left field before getting driven home by a Pappa double to center field. Holly Roadruck and Laura Whitfield would each record base knocks with Roadruck driving in Pappa for the game's second run. Erin Drennan and Sammie Bloomfield would plate the inning's other two runs off a double to right field and a single through the left side.

Benedictine would plate its lone run in the second inning, after Brittany Wolski and Kristin Bonk hit back-to-back doubles.

In the fourth, the Cardinals capitalized on a pair of leadoff walks to plate six more runs and ice the game. Bloomfield and Laura Constantine led off the inning with walks before loading the bases with no outs after Kelli Lofgren reached base on a fielding error. Pappa would clear the bases with a double to right, giving the home side the 7-1 advantage. A pair of doubles by Roadruck and Whitfield each plated a run while a Drennan sacrifice fly scored the game's final run.

Roadruck (8-5) picked up the win, tossing all five innings in the mercy-rule shortened game, allowing no walks and striking out two. Brittany Adcox (12-4) suffered the loss, getting the hook after just one inning after yielding four runs.

Pappa led the offensive attack, going three-for-three with four RBIs while Roadruck and Whitfield each finished two-for-three.

The Eagles struck first in game two, scoring five runs in the first inning after stringing together seven consecutive base hits. In the bottom of the frame, North Central was able to recover one run, exploiting an Eagle fielding error to score Roadruck who had reached on a fielder's choice.

Reid led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to right field, breaking up the no-hitter and providing the offensive spark necessary for a four-run inning to knot the game at five apiece. Drennan and Bloomfield followed Reid with a pair of doubles with Alyssa Rabulinski adding an RBI single. A Lofgren double to center field scored pinch-runner Justine Walker for the game-tying run.

A pair of triples in the fifth helped Benedictine reclaim the lead at 7-5 before the Cardinals scored in the bottom of the fifth and six to once again tie the game. Reid hit her second homer of the game in the fifth; blasting the ball over the right field fence while in the sixth, hit a single through the right side to score Pappa.

In extras, Lofgren singled to lead off the inning, advancing to second on a Pappa bunt after the Eagles were unable to make the out at second base. Brianna Nicholson advanced both runners a base off a sacrifice bunt before a sacrifice fly to deep right field by Whitfield brought home the winning run.

Nicholson (8-4) picked up the win, pitching the final two innings, allowing just one hit while Sam Corban (2-2) took the loss for Benedictine, pitching the final four and one-third innings and allowing three runs.

Reid ended the game three-for-three at the plate with three RBIs while Drennan and Lofgren each went two-for-four.

It was the Cardinals second straight doubleheader sweep at Shanower Field as the team improves to 17-9 overall while Benedictine drops to 20-9 on the year. North Central hits the road tomorrow, traveling to Notre Dame, Ind. where they will face Saint Mary's College in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.