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UW-Oshkosh Box Score

Brockport Box Score

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (Mar. 18, 2013) – The North Central College softball team collected 3-2 victories over the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and The College at Brockport to improve to 6-0 on the young season. 

With six consecutive victories to start the season, the Cardinals are off to their best start since the 1995 team won 10 games to start the year. 

Against UW-Oshkosh the Cardinals jumped all over the Titans, after scoring two runs in the top half of the first.  After a Taylor Ryan groundout, Kayla Antle walked and Vlasta Mangia singled to left.  Both runners tagged and advanced a base on a foulout by Amanda Walker, before Kiersten Tinkoff knocked them in on a single to center. 

The Titans responded with two unearned runs in the third inning.  Kaelyn Hogan led off the inning with a single and later scored on a Cardinal throwing error that allowed Hayden Krueger to reach safely.  Later in the inning, Krueger came in on a single by Katie Koepsel. 

In the top half the of the seventh with two outs and the score still tied at two, Antle blasted a double down the left field line, and Mangia followed with the game-winning single.  Mangia turned around and escaped the seventh after allowing two base runners. 

Mangia picked up her third consecutive victory of the season, and has yet to allow an earned run in 24 innings pitched. 

The Cardinals fell behind against Brockport in the second game of the twinbill.  The Golden Eagles scored a run in the top of the second inning, but North Central responded with a run in the second, third, and fifth innings.     

In the bottom of the second, Walker and Tinkoff led off with back-to-back singles.  A throwing error on a Jordyn Beck sacrifice bunt allowed Walker to score from second base to tie the score at one. 

Ryan led off the third with a single and moved up on a passed ball by the Golden Eagle catcher.  Antle followed with a bunt single to put Cardinal runners at the corners.  Antle was then thrown out at second while trying to steal second base, but Ryan scored on the throw to give the Cardinals a lead they wouldn't relinquish. 

Walker added to the Cardinal lead with a two-out double to left center field that scored Ryan to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead heading into the sixth. 

Starr settled down after the second inning and cruised through the next three innings before running into some trouble in the sixth.  Starr walked the first batter and hit the second, forcing the Cardinals to bring in their ace, Mangia, to close out the ballgame.  Mangia conceded a run on a wild pitch, but sent Brockport down in order in the seventh to earn the save. 

The Cardinals continue the Gene Cusic Classic tomorrow against the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 9:00 a.m. and the University of Wisconsin-Superior at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.