FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Apr. 7, 2011-- The North Central College softball team earned a series split for the second time this week, downing Benedictine University 7-6 in a nine-inning opening game before falling 14-1 in the nightcap on Thursday at Shanower Field.

Alyssa Rabulinski tallied the game winning run in the Cardinals' nine-inning 7-6 victory to open the series, scoring as Erin Drennan safely reached base with two outs after eluding the tag of the Benedictine first basemen.

Benedictine (14-4) scored the game's first run and held a 5-1 edge after 4 1/2-innings of play before the Cardinals exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

An Erin Drennan single plated the inning's first score before a Mary Caron groundout brought in Colleen Drennan, who reached base on a single. The Cardinals (12-6) took their first lead of the day the next at-bat as Lauren Schramm belted a three-run home run over the left field fence, giving the home side the 6-5 edge.

The Eagles countered in the top of the seventh with Steff Rybarczyk driving in a run, forcing extra innings. Neither squad was able to score in the eighth before the Cardinals sealed the win in the ninth. Rabulinski led off the ninth, reached base on a throwing error before advancing to second on a Colleen Drennan sacrifice bunt. Rabulinski advanced to third on a Taylor Ryan groundout before scoring the next at-bat.

Erin Drennan led the offense, finishing three-for-five with an RBI while Caron drove in a pair of runs.

Vlasta Mangia (3-2) picked up the victory, tossing all nine innings and fanning four batters while Brittany Adcox (7-4) suffered the loss, allowing five earned runs in the complete game effort.

Aided by a pair of fielding errors, the Eagles exploded for nine runs in the first inning of game two en route to the mercy-rule shortened victory. Benedictine tacked on four more runs in the third before the Cardinals scratched across a run in the bottom of the third.

Ryan led off the third with a double to center field before advancing to third on a Caron bunt single. Ryan would eventually score on a Schramm groundout for North Central's lone run of the game.

Brianna Nelson (7-2) absorbed the loss, pitching three innings and yielding four earned runs. Her counterpart Sam Corban (7-0) allowed just two-hits in five innings of work.

The Cardinals return to the diamond on Sunday with a non-conference showdown against Saint Mary's College at 1 p.m. (Eastern Time) in Notre Dame, Ind.