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

Apr. 6, 2010-- Holly Roadruck picked up the game one victory and the game two save, helping the North Central College softball team open up College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play with a sweep of Elmhurst College, winning 11-1 and 2-1, Tuesday afternoon at Shanower Field.

Elmhurst drew first blood in the opener, plating a run in the first before the Cardinals countered in the bottom of the frame. Erin Drennan reached base on a hit by pitch to lead off the inning, later scoring on a Katie Pappa single up the middle.

The Cardinals broke up the deadlock in the second, scoring four runs to take the lead indefinitely. Lauren Schramm led off the inning with a double to right field, later scoring on a Kara Reid single. A Drennan base hit brought in Ashley Barry for the inning's second run  before a Mary Caron single through the left side plated two more, giving the home side the 4-1 cushion.

North Central would explode for six more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a Schramm three-run home run blast to right field, enacting the mercy rule. A Caron sacrifice fly scored pinch runner Kristi Lishman, replacing Reid after she led off the inning with a single. A Pappa single the next at-bat brought in Alyssa Rabulinski, who reached base on a fielding error before Schramm cleared the bases with her walk off three-run shot with one out.

Reid finished three-for-three at the plate to lead the offense while Drennan, Whitfield and Schramm each collected a pair of hits.

Roadruck (8-1) picked up the victory in the circle, tossing her eighth complete game of the season, allowing just five hits on the day. Lindsay Nauman absorbed the loss for the Bluejays, yielding eight earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.

The Bluejays once again jumped to the early lead in game two, plating a run in the opening frame.

The Cardinals tied the game in the fourth after Whitfield led off the inning with a double to right field. A two-out single by Reid scored Whitfield, knotting the score at one apiece.

Drennan led off the top of the fifth with a base hit, eventually come home on a Whitfield single to right center field in what proved to be the game's decisive score.

A two-out double by Elmhurst's Maggie Yagen in the bottom of the seventh, prompted a Cardinal pitching change with Roadruck coming back out after earning the game one win. Roadruck induced a ground out to preserve the victory and earn her second save of the season.

Whitfield and Rabulinski each recorded a pair of hits to lead the Cardinal offense while the Bluejay's Rose Wysocki accounted for three of the visitors six hits in game two.

Lyndsey Payne improved to 5-2 on the season, pitching 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one run and striking out two while Stephanie Iori (7-4) was hit with the loss, allowing two runs and striking out three in seven innings of work.

The Cardinals improve to 16-4 overall and 2-0 in CCIW action while the Bluejays fall to 11-9 and 0-2 in conference play. North Central returns to the diamond on Thursday, hosting Beloit College (Wis.) in a non-conference clash at 3 p.m.