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

Apr. 8, 2010-- Precision defense and red-hot hitting carried the North Central College softball team to a doubleheader sweep of non-conference foe Beloit College (Wis.) on Thursday at Shanower Field, extending the team's win streak to nine games with the 13-1 and 11-0 mercy-rule victories.

The 24th-ranked Cardinals plated all 13 runs in the first three innings of play en route to the game one win.

Lauren Schramm opened up the scoring, driving in a pair on a two-out double to center field in the bottom of the first. North Central would tack on six more runs in the second with Ashley Barry setting the tone after leading off the inning with a double. A throwing error allowed Barry to score while an Erin Drennan base hit brought in the inning's second score. Drennan would come home on a Katie Pappa single before Laura Whitfield cleared the bases with a three-run home run to center field.

The Cardinals continued where they left off in the third, plating five runs, three of which coming on a Schramm home run blast to right field.

The Buccaneers pushed across their lone run of the day in the top of the third as a lead off walk, a sacrifice bunt and a double broke up the shutout.

Schramm highlighted the Cardinal offensive attack, finishing three-for-three with five RBIs while Whitfield and Drennan each collected a pair of hits.

Brianna Nelson (3-0) picked up the win the the circle, allowing just three hits and striking out four in five innings of work while Katy Sandt was hit with the loss, pitching 1 1/3 innings and yielding five earned runs.

Katie Crawford carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning while the Cardinal bats generated seven runs in the third inning in the game two victory.

Drennan plated the game's first run, leading off the bottom of the first with a single before scoring on a fielding error with two outs.

North Central would tally two more in the second with a Justine Walker double scoring Kelli Lofgren while another two-out fielding error allowed Walker to come around and score, pushing the home side's advantage to 3-0.

Two straight doubles and four consecutive base knocks to lead off the third set the tone for a seven run inning. Schramm and Whitfield led off the inning with back-to-back doubles before an Ashley Barry single brought the pair home the next at-bat. Kara Reid blasted a double for the inning's fourth straight hit before a Lofgren single down the left field line brought in Barry and Reid. Walker's second two-bagger of the game scored Lofgren while a Schramm single plated Walker for the inning's seventh run, giving North Central a 10-run buffer.

A Mackenzie Falker bunt single in the top of the fourth broke up Crawford's bid for a no-hitter as the Buccaneers mustered just two hits and three base runners in the game.

Pappa scored the game's final run in the fourth inning, reaching base on a single to left center field before coming home on a Walker sacrifice fly.

Schramm, Barry, Lofgren and Walker each finished the game with multiple hits as the Cardinals racked up 12 hits in game two and 25 total over the two game series.

Crawford (2-1) picked up the complete game victory, striking out two and yielding just two hits while Sandt suffered her second defeat of the day, tossing four innings and allowing seven earned runs.

North Central improves to 18-4 with the victories while Beloit falls to 3-17. The Cardinals return to the diamond on Saturday, hosting Millikin University at Shanower Field with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.