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Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

(Apr. 9, 2013) – Down 7-6, heading into the bottom of the sixth the North Central College softball team rallied to take an 8-7 lead and withstood an Elmhurst College threat in the seventh to beat the Bluejays in game two of the CCIW doubleheader, after hammering the visitors, 9-0, in the opening game on Tuesday.   

With the Cardinals (23-1, 3-1) trailing by two, two outs and two runners on, Carly Trenhaile hit a clutch double to right center field to score Kayla Antle and Vlasta Mangia and give the Cardinals an 8-7 lead heading into the final inning. 

But, Elmhurst (13-9, 0-6) wouldn't go quietly as Bella Masini and Rachel Cooke led off the inning with base hits.  Mangia then got Stephanie Mathe to groundout to second base for the inning's first out, but both runners advanced to put the go-ahead run in scoring position.  Tiffany Potthast followed by hitting a hard line drive to Kiersten Tinkoff, who caught the ball and tossed it to Cecie Portillo to double off the Elmhurst runner at second base for the game-ending double play. 

After dominating the Elmhurst lineup in game one, Mangia (14-0), the two-time CCIW Pitcher of the Week, got touched up by the Bluejays, giving up 14 hits and seven runs in seven innings pitched.  Mangia hadn't given up more than two runs in any outing all season. 

Luckily, Mangia had a potent offense to fall back on.  Trenhaile had three hits and three RBI, while Taylor Ryan, Antle and Mangia all had two hits. 

The first game of the afternoon had a lot less drama as the Cardinals blasted the Elmhurst starter to the tune of nine runs and nine hits. 

North Central was held scoreless in the first, but responded with two runs in both the second and third and added three more in the fourth to put the game out of reach. 

Ryan knocked in two with single in the second, while Portillo hit in two more in the third.  Amanda Walker got into the act in the fourth with a two-run double.   Walker, Portillo, and Ryan all finished the first game with two hits and two batted in. 

Mangia had much less trouble in the first game.  She gave up just three hits and tossed a six-inning shutout, her sixth of the year.   

North Central is back at home on Thursday when the Cardinals host Aurora University for a non-conference doubleheader at Shanower Family Field.  First pitch is at 3:00 p.m.