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Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (Apr. 27, 2010)-- Scoring in bunches, the 16th-ranked North Central College softball team earned a non-conference doubleheader sweep of host Lake Forest College on Tuesday afternoon, winning 6-1 and 9-4. The Cardinals jumped out to an early four run lead after two innings in the opener while utilizing a four run frame to break open a tie game in nightcap.

North Central (28-8) jumped to the early lead in the opener, plating two runs in first inning. Katie Pappa knocked a one-out single up the middle, advancing to third on a Lauren Schramm double to right center field before a Laura Whitfield double brought in the pair, giving the visitors the 2-0 edge.
 
The Cardinals doubled up their lead in the second, plating two more and pushing their advantage to 4-0. Mary Caron led off the inning with an infield single, advancing to second on an Alyssa Rabulinski sacrifice bunt before scoring on an Erin Drennan base hit to right field. Drennan would tally the frame's second run, scoring with two-outs on a Forester throwing error.
 
Lake Forest (22-12-1) broke up the shutout in the bottom of the fourth after a Nikki Miller RBI single up the middle scored Tracy Rainey, who reached base on a fielder's choice.

North Central tacked on two more in the top of the seventh as Laura Constantine led off the frame with a solo home run to left field. Whitfield drove in the inning' second run on a double to right center field, plating Schramm to conclude the game's scoring.

Whitfield powered the offense with a three-for-four effort with three RBIs while Drennan was two-for-four with an RBI. Miller led the Foresters, finishing three-for-three at the plate.

Holly Roadruck (11-4) picked up the complete game victory, striking out four and walking three while Jordan Ratliff (11-5) suffered the loss for the Foresters, pitching all seven innings and allowing five earned runs while striking out five.

The Cardinals once again struck first in game two, taking a 1-0 lead after one inning of play thanks to back-to-back doubles by Pappa and Schramm.

A Drennan home run blast to left field in the top of the third upped the Cardinal advantage to 2-0 before the home side tied the game in the bottom of the frame. Shelby Neill reached base to lead off the third for the Foresters courtesy of a Cardinal fielding error, advancing to third on a double before scoring on a sacrifice bunt. A Danielle Gore double to right center field brought in Sam Pinsonneault, tying the game at two apiece.

North Central broke up the deadlock in the fourth inning, exploding for four runs after stringing together five straight base hits. Caron scored the innings first run, blasting a one-out double before scoring the next at-bat on a Rabulinski double to right center field. Rabulinski advanced to third on a wild pitch before coming home on a Constantine base hit down the left field line. A Drennan double pushed pinch runner Kelli Lofgren to third base before scoring on a Pappa outfield single. Drennan would plate the inning's fourth run, scoring on a wild pitch with two outs giving the Cardinals the 6-2 buffer.

Lake Forest closed the gap to three with a run in the bottom of the fifth before a three-run Cardinal outburst in the seventh, pushed the visitors lead to six. A Whitfield two-out triple kick-started the three-run inning, later scoring on a Kara Reid single. Barry followed up Reid with a base hit of her own before the pair scored on a double down the left field line by Caron.

A Mallory Norton home run in the bottom of the seventh, closed the gap to five but the Foresters were unable to come any closer, giving the Cardinals their fifth straight non-conference doubleheader sweep.

Caron led the offensive effort, finishing three-for-four with a pair of RBIs. Drennan, Pappa, Whitfield and Constantine each finished with a pair of hits as the Cardinals out-hit the home squad by a 15-8 margin.

Lyndsey Payne (10-3) struck out four and allowed three earned runs in seven innings of work while Molly Thomsen (5-5) suffered the defeat, pitching 3 1/3 innings and yielding four earned runs.

North Central closes out its regular season non-conference slate on Thursday, hitting the road to face the University of Chicago at 3 p.m.