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Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

WHEATON, Ill. (Apr. 21, 2011)-- Extra innings were necessary to decide both ends of the North Central College softball team's College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin doubleheader against Wheaton College on Thursday at Ruth Leedy Field. Lauren Schramm emerged as the hero in game one with a two-run home run in the ninth inning for the 5-3 win before falling 7-5 in eight innings in the nightcap.

The 24th-ranked Cardinals (18-9, 5-3 CCIW) struck first in the opener, scoring the game's first run in the top of the fourth inning with Colleen Drennan belting an RBI single to right field, scoring Justine Walker who reached on a fielder's choice. The homestanding Thunder (16-13-1, 3-5 CCIW) answered in the bottom half of the frame, taking the lead after pushing across a pair of runs. Kelli Hennessey knotted the contest at one apiece with an RBI single, scoring Katie Iser before Lesley Guenard scored the go-ahead run after stealing home.

North Central evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the seventh with Erin Drennan scoring after Lauren Schramm safely reached base on a Thunder fielding miscue. Drennan reached base by belting a one-out double to center field before advancing to third on a groundout.

The Cardinals struck again in the eighth inning with Colleen Drennan tallying her second RBI of the game, plating Vlasta Mangia who led off the inning with a base knock. Pinch hitter Amanda Mattocks answered in the bottom of the eighth, driving in Guenard on a two-out single to keep the game alive.

North Central opened up the ninth with Mary Caron drawing a walk before Lauren Schramm belted a two-run shot over the left center field fence, her fifth home run of the season to give the visiting Cardinals the 5-3 advantage.

Mangia (6-4) induced three straight groundouts in the bottom of the ninth to earn the complete game victory, allowing no walks and striking out one while Ainsley McCullough was hit with the loss, striking out seven in nine innings of work.

Schramm finished game one two-for-four at the plate while Erin Drennan and Mangia each finished two-for-five.

In the late game, the Thunder pushed across a pair of earned runs in the top of the eighth to secure the win and ensure a series split.

Wheaton wasted little time, plating a pair of runs in the opening frame before pushing across a single run in the top of the second to take and early 3-0 lead. Suzanne Tueben singled in a pair in the first before Guenard doubled in a run in the second.

Suzanne Tueben struck again in the fifth for the Thunder, driving in a pair of runs off a double to left center field, giving Wheaton the 5-0 advantage.

North Central came alive in the bottom of the sixth, tying the contest with a five-run outburst off of just three hits. Mangia led the frame with a bunt single, eventually scoring on an Alyssa Rabulinski single to center field. A Thunder fielding error with two-outs kept the frame alive as Colleen Drennan and Rabilinski both scored before Laura Whitfield tied the contest with a two RBI single to center field.

A Cardinal fielding miscue with two outs in the top of the eighth inning allowed the Thunder to plate two runs for what turned out to be the deciding margin.

North Central threatened in the bottom of the eighth after singles from Erin Drennan and Laura Whitfield before Wheaton pitcher Ainsley McCullough put away the game with a strikeout for the game's final out.

Whitfield led the Cardinal offense in game two with a three-for-five effort with a pair of RBIs while Erin Drennan, Schramm and Rabulinski each collected a pair of hits.

Brianna Nelson (10-3) suffered the loss, tossing 7 1/3 innings and allowing four earned runs while McCullough (6-6) earned the win, pitching the final 2 1/3 innings in relief of Danielle Schmidt.

The Cardinals return to action on Saturday, heading downstate to Decatur to face conference leader Millikin University in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.