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

NOTRE DAME, Ind. (Apr. 19, 2009)-- Laura Whitfield accounted for three of the team's four home runs on the day, finishing five-for-six at the plate as North Central College swept Saint Mary's College in a non-conference softball doubleheader at the SMC Softball Field. The Cardinals took game one, 9-5, before using a seven-run second inning in game two for the, 14-2, mercy rule shortened victory to close out the series.

The Cardinals used a four-run second inning to power past the Belles in what proved to be the winning margin in game one. St. Mary's got on the board first, scoring an unearned run in the first inning off an Ashley Fusaro single. North Central would quickly tie the game at one apiece after Whitfield led off the top of the second with a home run blast to center field. The Cardinals would net three more runs in the inning, getting RBIs from Sammie Bloomfield, Alyssa Rabulinski and Laura Constantine.

The Cardinals upped their lead to 5-1 in the third after Whitfield once again led off the inning with a home run to center field. The Belles would counter in the bottom half of the inning, cutting the deficit to just one after plating three runs, two of which coming off a Fusaro double to right center.

For the third time in the game, Whitfield led off the inning with a home run, clearing the left field fence to lead off the fifth. The Cardinals would add another run in the sixth with Holly Roadruck hitting a double to drive in Kelli Lofgren. Constantine and Lofgren would knock in a run apiece in the top of the seventh, giving the Cardinals the 9-4 advantage while the Belles chalked up one run in the seventh off an Ashley Peterson single.

Roadruck (9-5) earned the win, pitching all seven inning in the circle and striking out three while Monica Palicki took the loss for St. Mary's, pitching three innings and allowing five runs.

Whitfield, who entered the game with just one home run on the season, led the Cardinal offense, going three-for-three with three home runs while Kara Reid and Constantine each finished two-for-four.

The Cardinals jumped out to an early 9-0 lead in game two and never looked back, cruising to the 14-2 victory in five innings.

In the first, North Central pushed two runs across the plate, aided in a large part by Lofgren and Katie Pappa drawing walks to begin the inning. A Whitfield single drove in Lofgren for the game's first run while Reid drove in Pappa to take the early 2-0 lead.

In the second, North Central took advantage of two errors and three free passes to rack up seven runs and take the commanding 9-0 lead. Mary Caron and Pappa each drove in a run before a Bloomfield grand slam cleared the bases and prematurely ended the day for Belle pitcher Palicki.

The Belles plated a run in the second and another in the third, but were unable to muster any more offense as the Cardinals scored a run apiece in the third and fourth innings before piling on three in the top of the fifth. A Reid single in the third scored Lofgren while in the fourth; Pappa drove in Courtney Blake. Constantine and Caron each drove in a run in the fifth off doubles as North Central finished the game with 15 hits.

Katie Crawford (2-0) picked up the win, tossing her first complete game while her counterpart Palicki (10-6) took the loss, pitching just one and one-third innings and allowing eight earned runs.

Pappa and Reid each finished two-for-four with two RBIs as five Cardinals ended the game with multiple hits.

The Cardinals have now won four straight and eight of their last 10 as they improve to 19-9 on the season while the Belles stumble to 22-10 on the year. North Central returns to the diamond on Tuesday, April 21, taking on Carthage College (Wis.) in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin doubleheader at Shanower Field beginning at 3 p.m.