FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Apr. 3, 2010-- The North Central College softball team picked up its first road sweep of the season on Saturday, needing a seventh inning rally to pull out the 5-3 victory in the opener before blanking host Aurora University, 9-0 in a mercy rule shortened game two at the Stuart Sportsplex.

Aurora drew first blood in the opener, plating three runs in the third inning. A walk and an error put two on with one out before a Briana Martin home run blast cleared the bases for the home side.

Kara Reid led off the fifth inning with a single, advancing to third on a fielding error before scoring on an Alyssa Rabulinski ground out, cutting the deficit to just two runs.

The Cardinals would tack on another run in the sixth inning as Lauren Schramm legged out an inside the park home run with one out before racking up three runs in the seventh to pull out the victory.

A Katie Pappa base hit with two outs brought in a pair of runs before a Laura Whitfield double the next at-bat brought home Pappa for the inning's third run, giving the visiting Cardinals the two-run buffer.

Pappa led the North Central offense, accounting for two of the team's six hits on the afternoon.

Holly Roadruck (7-1) picked up the victory in the circle, striking out four, allowing just three hits and no earned runs in seven innings of work. The Spartans Anna Snyder (5-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing two earned runs and six hits over seven innings.

Game two saw the Cardinals plate all nine runs over a two-inning span, coming away with the five inning mercy-rule shorten victory to close out the day.

Ashley Barry led off the second with a base hit, advancing to second on a Reid sacrifice bunt before scoring on a single by Erin Drennan. A Mary Caron single to center field plated Drennan and Laura Constantine, who had reached base after drawing a walk, giving the Cardinals the three-run advantage.

North Central would explode for six more runs in the third inning, after the Cardinals led off the frame with three consecutive base hits. Whitfield doubled to start the inning, advancing to third on a Schramm single before coming home on a Barry single. A Spartan fielding error allowed Rabulinski to safely reach base while plating a pair of runs before scoring on a wild pitch. Caron drove in Constantine for her third RBI of the game while a Pappa single plated the innings sixth run.

Barry finished two-for-three at the plate in game two while Mary Caron was one-for-three with three RBIs.

Lyndsey Payne (4-2) earned the win, pitching all five innings, allowing just three hits for the shutout while Allison Shimkus absorbed the loss, tossing just two innings and yielding six runs.

With the wins, the Cardinals improve to 14-4 on the season while the Spartans fall to 10-3. North Central returns to the diamond on Tuesday, April 6, hosting Elmhurst College in the team's College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opener.