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

Tucson, Ariz. (Mar. 22, 2010)-- Its only March, but the North Central College softball team's offense has already hit its stride, averaging nine runs a contest over the weekend at the Tucson Invitational Games after winning five of six to open up the 2010 season.

There was no shortage of offense for North Central Friday night, as the Cardinals put up 28 runs over a two-game stretch, defeating the College of Saint Scholastica (Minn.) 8-2 and Lakeland College (Wis.) 20-12.

Against Saint Scholastica, the Cardinals jumped to an early 5-0 lead before the Saints (4-8) pushed across their first run of the night in the bottom of the third inning. North Central would answer with a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh in the 8-2 victory.

Holly Roadruck picked up the victory in the circle while also helping her cause offensively, blasting a pair of doubles. Maron Caron was a perfect three-for-three at the plate with a double as six Cardinals finished the game with multiple hits.

In the nightcap, Laura Whitfield had a monster game, finishing four-for-five at the plate with a home run and three doubles as the Cardinals put up three or more runs in five of the game's six innings to down the Muskies (5-5) in a mercy rule shortened game. Brianna Nelson was credited with the win in the circle, getting some offensive support from Kara Reid and Alyssa Rabulinski, who each recorded three hits in the game.

After a late night the Cardinals were back on the diamond, Saturday morning, taking down the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 7-6, before defeating Otterbein College (Ohio), 14-5.

Despite taking the early lead, North Central needed a seventh inning rally to escape with the victory against regional power UW-La Crosse. The Cardinals opened up the scoring in the second inning with a pair of runs before taking on two more in the fourth. The Eagles (13-4) plated a run in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the sixth, holding a two-run cushion heading into the final frame. North Central came up big in the seventh, putting up three runs to escape with the victory.

Roadruck (2-0) picked up her second win in as many days in the circle while finishing two-for-four offensively. Ashley Barry belted a home run, finishing two-for-four at the plate while Laura Constantine and Rabulinski each tallied a pair of hits.

Against Otterbein, the Cardinals erupted for 13 runs over a two inning span to break a 1-1 deadlock in a game shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule. Five of those runs came in the third inning with Katie Pappa blasting a two-run shot over the center field wall while a Constantine double plated an additional two runs. The Cardinals continued to pile on the runs in the fourth inning, capitalizing on some erratic pitching, scoring eight runs off just four hits.

Otterbein (1-4) pushed across a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings but were unable to generate enough offense to escape the mercy rule.

Nelson (2-0) picked up the victory in the circle, tossing four innings, striking out four and allowing just two earned runs before making way for Lyndsey Payne who pitched the game's final inning, allowing two hits and one earned run.

Pappa finished two-for-two at the plate with two RBIs while Erin Drennan and Kara Reid each went two-for-three.

Sunday saw the Cardinals split a pair of games against squads from the Pacific Northwest, defeating Whitworth University (Wash.), 4-1, before falling 10-1 to George Fox University (Ore.) in the late game.

The Pirates (1-9) got on the board early, plating a run in the first inning in what proved to be their only offense of the game. The Cardinals responded with a pair of runs in both the third and sixth innings as Lyndsey Payne (1-0) picked up her first win in the circle while Roadruck tossed the final one and two-thirds innings to pick up her first career save.

Offensively, Roadruck led the squad, blasting a pair of doubles to drive in a pair of runs while Barry finished two-for-three.

Deadlocked at one apiece after the first inning, the Bruins (7-11) scored nine unanswered, halting the Cardinals win streak at five games. Katie Crawford was saddled with the loss in a game that saw North Central get anemic offensive production, producing just two hits in the five-inning mercy rule shortened game.

The Cardinals (5-1) return to the diamond today with a pair of rematches against Whitworth and Otterbein.