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Nichols Box Score

New England Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Mar. 20, 2013) – Freshman sensation Andrea Starr threw a six inning no-hitter against Nichols College, and  Vlasta Mangia and Amanda Walker hit back-to-back homers to lead the Cardinals to a 5-1 victory over the University of New England to close their spring break trip in the Gene Cusic Classic on Wednesday afternoon. 

The Cardinals (10-0) ten consecutive victories to start the season tie the 1995 squad for the second-best start in school history.  North Central's best start came in 1989, when the Cardinals rattled off 13 consecutive victories.  This year's Cardinals still have a long way to go to match the school's best winning streak.  Back in 1981, North Central won 25 straight on their way to a 31-6 season. 

Starr (5-0) threw the Cardinals second no-hitter of the season, striking out seven, and sending 18 straight Bison down after conceding a walk to start the game.  In the shutout, Starr lowered her ERA for the season to a sparkling 0.87.
Offensively, North Central pounced on the Bison with three runs in the first inning.  Kayla Antle singled and scored on a passed ball, while Walker added a single and scored on a Kiersten Tinkoff single to left field.  Tinkoff came around on a throwing error that allowed Starr to reach base. 

In the second, the Cardinals added another tally on a bunt single by Antle that scored Jordan Johnson.  With Starr breezing through the Bison hitters North Central added two more runs in the fourth, and ended the game via the mercy rule with two more in the sixth. 

Olivia Goethals drew a bases loaded walk, and Taylor Ryan scored on a passed ball to end the first game.

With the score deadlocked at 0 against New England after two and a half innings, Mangia and Walker hit back-to-back solo bombs to push the Cardinals ahead 2-0.

Another tremendous effort from Mangia (5-0) in the circle held New England to just one unearned on three hits, stretching her innings streak without allowing an earned run to 38.  After today's performances the Cardinals team ERA is a paltry 0.39. 

North Central added some insurance in the fifth on an RBI double by Tinkhoff.  The Cardinals scored two more in the sixth on an RBI single by Ryan and a sacrifice fly by Antle. 

The Cardinals return to Illinois, but remain on the road at Dominican University on Saturday for a doubleheader in River Forest.