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Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

KENOSHA, Wis. (Apr. 20, 2010)-- Offense was in short supply for the North Central College softball team on Tuesday, generating just four runs over a two game span as host Carthage College came away with the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin doubleheader sweep. The Cardinals dropped a 2-1 extra innings affair in the opener before falling 11-3 in the nightcap.

17th-ranked North Central (24-8, 6-4 CCIW) struck first in the opener, plating a run in the top of the fourth as a Kara Reid single to right field brought in Mary Caron, who led off the inning with a walk.

The Lady Reds (15-8, 7-3 CCIW) responded in the bottom of the sixth with Stephanie Noel leading off the inning with a solo home run shot, tying the game at one apiece.

Neither team was able to muster any offense in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings. Noel led off the bottom of the eight with a double to right field, crossing the plate for the winning run off an outfield single by Alyssa Schrader with no outs.

Holly Roadruck (9-4) was hit with the loss, pitching seven innings and allowing two earned runs while Kelsey Epping (10-2) picked up the win, striking out nine and allowing just four Cardinal hits in eight innings of work.

Carthage wasted little time in game two, piling on six runs in the top of the first inning en route to the 11-3 six inning mercy rule win.

Noel continued to inflict damage on the Cardinals in game two, blasting a two-run home run to open up the scoring, helping the Lady Reds score six runs off six hits. Carthage pushed its advantage to eight runs in the second, courtesy of a Kari Peterson two-RBI double.

North Central got on the board in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs after leading off the frame with four straight singles. Lauren Schramm led off the inning with an outfield single, advancing to second on a Laura Whitfield base knock before reaching third on a Katie Pappa infield hit. An Ashley Barry single scored Schramm while an Alyssa Rabulinski sacrifice fly plated Whitfield, cutting the deficit to six.

A wild pitch brought in a run for the Lady Reds in the fourth while a Whitfield RBI double in the fifth plated Schramm for the Cardinals' final run of the day.

Back-to-back home runs by Noel and Schrader in the sixth gave the hosts an eight-run margin, enacting the mercy rule.

North Central pounded out nine hits in game two with Pappa finishing three-for-three at the plate. Schramm, Whitfield and Barry each went two-for-three for the Cardinals while Noel led the Carthage offense, concluding the series seven-for-seven, driving in four runs.

Lyndsey Payne (8-3) absorbed the loss, yielding four earned runs in 1/3-inning of work while Krystina Leazer (5-2) picked up the win, tossing five innings, surrendering three earned runs.

The Cardinals return to the diamond on Thursday at 3 p.m., hosting Wheaton College in a doubleheader at Shanower Field.