FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Mar. 29, 2012-- Pushing across 16 runs, the North Central College softball team remained perfect at Shanower Field, earning a doubleheader sweep of Beloit College (Wis.) on Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals topped the Buccaneers 8-1 in the opener before securing the 8-0 mercy rule victory in game two.
The Cardinals (8-6) wasted little time getting on the board in the opener, grabbing a 3-0 lead after one inning of play.
Taylor Ryan and
Kayla Antle let off the frame by drawing walks before
Vlasta Mangia reached base on a bunt single. Ryan scored on a Buccaneer error while a
Carly Trenhaile triple to right field plated Antle and Mangia, giving the home side the three run buffer.
Beloit (3-13) broke up the shutout with an unearned run in the second inning before North Central countered with a run in the bottom of the third as a
Colleen Drennan single scored
Mary Caron, who reached on a fielding error.
The Cardinals piled on four unearned runs in the fourth inning to mushroom the lead to seven runs and conclude the scoring. With two outs Antle scored on a wild pitch before a
Jordyn Beck triple brought in a pair of runs. Drennan tallied her second RBI of the contest with a double down the left field line to bring in Beck for the 8-1 advantage.
Mangia (6-3) picked up the win in the circle, tossing a complete game and allowing just three hits while fanning six batters. The sophomore helped her cause on offense, finishing the game three-for-four at the plate while Drennan finished with a pair of hits.
Utilizing a five-run fifth inning, the Cardinals secured a sweep with a mercy-rule shutout victory in game two.
Ryan led off the bottom of the first with a single, later scoring on a Trenhaile RBi groundout while a
Mary Caron single plated Antle for the early 2-0 advantage.
North Central's lead remained just two runs until opening up the contest with a five run fifth inning. Antle got the inning started with a triple to right field with Mangia bringing her home the next at-bat. A Drennan groundout brought in Mangia before pinch hitter
Sarah Porter belted a double to right center field, scoring a pair of runs. A Crawford base hit to left field scored Porter, giving the Cardinals the 7-0 edge.
Mangia ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, belting a single to left field, scoring Ryan with no outs and enacting the mercy rule.
Crawford (2-3) picked up the victory, tossing a complete game shutout after allowing just three hits. Her counterpart, Megan Salm was hit with the loss, yielding seven earned runs in five innings of action.
The Cardinals return to the diamond on Saturday, making the trip downstate to face Monmouth College in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
