FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Box Score

May 3, 2011-- The North Central College softball squad saw its four game winning streak come to a halt on Tuesday afternoon at Shanower Field, yielding six runs in the sixth inning in an 8-5 loss to the University of Chicago.

The Maroons (23-11) struck first in the opening inning of play with a Liz Payonk groundout scoring Julia Schneider. The Cardinals (23-12) tied the score in the bottom of the frame, with a Laura Whitfield bloop single to shallow center field scoring Erin Drennan who led off the inning with a single through the right side.

Chicago regained the lead with a single run in the second inning before Whitfield tallied her second RBI of the game in the bottom of the fourth, blasting a solo home run shot over the right field fence to tie the score at 2-2.

North Central took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with Colleen Drennan scoring from second base on a Maroon throwing error after reaching base on an infield single.

The Maroons secured the lead for good in the sixth inning, piling on six runs, getting a two-RBI double from Payonk and a two-run home run from Sara Whaley. The Cardinals sliced into the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth, getting an RBI single from Mary Caron and an RBI groundout from Taylor Ryan, but was unable to generate any more runs in the 8-5 loss.

Caron and Whitfield each finished with two hits to lead the Cardinals at the plate.

Gabby Moe (0-1) suffered the loss, pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief of Brianna Nelson, allowing four runs while Kim Cygan (9-6) earned the victory, tossing five innings and striking out four while Melissa Collins earned the save, tossing the final two innings and striking out two.

The Cardinals return to the diamond on Thursday, taking on Carthage College at 12 p.m. in Decatur, Ill. in the opening round of the double elimination College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament.