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

ELMHURST, Ill. (Apr. 8, 2009)--  The North Central College softball team earned a road doubleheader split with Elmhurst College on Wednesday, falling 8-0 in five innings in the opener before rebounding with the 4-2 victory in game two.

The Bluejays used a five-run third inning to come away with the 8-0 win in a game shortened to five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule. Elmhurst got on the board early, plating a run in the first after Becca Zumpf led off the inning with a double to left field. After a scoreless second, the Bluejay offense awoke, pounding out seven hits and exploiting two Cardinal errors to plate five-runs. Elmhurst would push across two more runs in the fourth to seal the 8-0 win.

Brianna Nicholson (5-3) absorbed the loss, pitching two and two-third innings and yielding five earned runs. Katie Crawford tossed the final one and one-third innings for North Central, allowing two earned runs. Lindsay Nauman (6-2) picked up the win for Elmhurst, pitching all five innings, yielding just three hits in the shutout.

North Central's fortunes would turn in game two, using a three-run first inning to come away with the 4-2 win and salvage the series split. Katie Pappa led off the bottom of the first with a walk while Christina Narciso singled the next at-bat. Erin Drennan would lay down the sacrifice bunt to advance both runners before a Laura Whitfield single would drive in a pair of runs. A Katie Pappa single brought home Whitfield for the innings third run. Elmhurst would get on the board in the top of the third with a Julie Devine RBI single to drive home Becca Zumpf after she led off the inning with a single.    

Elmhurst (12-6, 1-3 CCIW) tacked on another run in the fourth, pulling within one before the Cardinals would counter with an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning for the game's final score. Alyssa Rabulinski doubled to left field to open the fourth for the Cardinals, advancing to third after Mary Caron layed down the sac bunt. Rabulinski would come home the next at-bat after Pappa reached first on a fielding error.

Holly Roadruck (4-3) picked up the victory, tossing her seventh complete game of the season, striking out two and allowing just one earned run. Amber Schwarzinger (3-2) took the loss for Elmhurst, pitching just one and one-third innings and allowing three earned runs. Vanessa Kalal pitched the final four and two-thirds for Elmhurst, allowing just one run.

Rabulinski led the offense in game two, going three-for-three at the plate. Reid finished the game two-for-three while Whitfield finished one-for-two with two RBIs.

With the split, North Central moves to 10-6 on the season and 3-1 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. The Cardinals return to the diamond tomorrow, when the team's steps out of conference to host Lake Forest College at 3 p.m. at Shanower Field.