FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (Apr. 10, 2011)-- Vlasta Mangia tossed the second no-hitter of the season while the offense exploded for 26 hits and 20 runs over the course of the afternoon, helping the North Central College softball squad pummel host Saint Mary's College, 12-0 and 8-1 on Sunday in a non-conference doubleheader at the SMC Softball Field.
Mangia (4-2) issued just one walk and fanned one batter, picking up her first career no-hitter and the second of the season for North Central (14-6) after
Brianna Nelson achieved the feat on March 31 against Beloit College (Wis.).
The Cardinals opened up game one with pair of runs in the first inning courtesy of a
Lauren Schramm two-run home run blast. Also scoring on the play was
Mary Caron, who reached base on a single to right field.
An
Erin Drennan single plated the game's third run in the top of the second inning before taking on two more runs in the third.
Justine Walker brought in
Laura Whitfield, who reached on a fielder's choice while an
Alyssa Rabulinski groundout plated Mangia after reached base by drawing a walk.
Capitalizing on two Belle (11-10) errors, the Cardinals piled on four runs in the fourth off just three hits with Schramm driving in two more runs on a double to right field.
Schramm belted her fifth RBI of the game in the top of the fifth while
Laura Whitfield plated two more on a home run blast to right field as the Cardinals earned the mercy-rule shortened shutout victory.
Schramm ended the game four-for-four with five RBIs while Whitfield and Rabulinski each finished two-for-three.
In game two, the Cardinals piled on four runs in the sixth inning, turning a two-run lead into a six-run cushion en route to the series sweep.
North Central pushed across the game's first run in the third inning with a Whitfield sacrafice fly to center field scoring
Erin Drennan.
The Cardinals tacked on two more in the fourth with
Taylor Ryan driving in
Ashley Guest on a fielder's choice after Guest led off the inning with a single to left field while an
Erin Drennan sacrifice bunt scored
Colleen Drennan, who reached base on a bunt single.
The Belles broke up the shutout in the fifth inning, scoring an unearned run to close the gap to just 3-1 before the Cardinals responded with a four-run outburst in the sixth inning.
Taylor Ryan scored the frame's first run, reaching base after getting hit by a pitch before getting driven in by Whitfield.
Erin Drennan scored on a St. Mary's error before Rabulinski belted in a pair of runs on a single up the middle.
An
Erin Drennan solo home run in the top of the seventh concluded the scoring for the Cardinals who finished the afternoon with 26 hits and 20 runs in the series sweep.
Erin Drennan finished the game four-of-rfour with two RBIs while Guest was three-for-four.
Nelson improved to 8-2 on the season, tossing all seven innings and yielding just seven hits while issuing no walks and striking out one.
The Cardinals return to the diamond on Tuesday, taking on North Park University in the team's College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin home opener. First pitch at Shanower Field is slated for 3 p.m.