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Carthage Box Score
Luther Box Score

WHITEWATER, Wis. (May 12, 2013) – The North Central College softball team earned a 3-2 victory over Carthage College, its first in four tries this season, and advanced to face Luther College in the Sweet Sixteen, where it lost 7-0 in the championship game of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Regional on Sunday afternoon. 

For the second consecutive day, Becca Girvan, a junior All-American tossed a gem against the Cardinals and allowed just three hits. 

“She pitches,” said head coach Jim Kulawiak.  “She changes locations, she changes speeds, she changes eye level.   She is very smart and that's why she is an All-American.”

The Cardinals had a few opportunities to score, but when they did, the Norse slammed the door shut. 

“Luther did a very nice job, but the score was a little bit misleading,” said Kulawiak.  “They made a number of great plays against us and had it not gone that way, it could've been a different story, but they are a very good team. “

Jordyn Beck led off the third by reaching on an error, but Taylor Ryan lined out to the Norse second baseman who threw from her backside to double off Jordan Johnson who pinch ran for Beck. 

North Central threatened again in the fourth when Kayla Antle and Vlasta Mangia, an All-Tournament Team selection, led off with back-to-back singles, but Girvan got the next three Cardinals out including two strikeouts. 

The Norse scored runs in the second and third, and added two more in the fourth off of Mangia.  Luther blew the game wide open in the sixth with three more, to give them a commanding 7-0 lead. 

Earlier in the day, North Central's victory over Carthage snapped a five-game losing streak against the Lady Reds, who had defeated the Cardinals three times already this season.  Today's starter, Krystina Leazer, was the winning pitcher in each of those five games over the past two seasons. 

The Cardinals scored all their runs via the long ball against Carthage.  Kiersten Tinkoff set the tone early on a leadoff home run, her first of the season, in the second inning.  In the third, Mangia and Amanda Walker slugged back-to-back jacks to give North Central a 3-0 lead after three. 

“I wanted everyone to get fired up and get jacked up,” said Tinkoff.  “We knew this was the time to beat them,” she added. 

While the Cardinal offense was going deep, Mangia was cruising on the mound and retired the first 10 Lady Red hitters in order, before giving up a single to Corinne Sheley. 

The Lady Reds didn't threaten until the sixth, when Bryanna Heckel walked and moved to second on a groundout to Mangia.  Heckel advanced to third on a passed ball, and tried to score on another passed ball, but Beck's underhand toss to Mangia nailed Heckel at the plate to end the threat. 

With one-out in the Lady Reds final at-bat, Katie Morman and Abby Hanson clubbed back-to-back doubles to get on the board and cut the Cardinal advantage to 3-1.  Olivia Scott tapped a single to put runners at the corners for the Lady Reds with one away.  Mangia got Alyse Mikolas to pop out to Cecie Poritllo, but Amy Slattery kept the inning alive with a fielder's choice to Mangia that scored Hanson.  With the potential winning run now on base, Mangia got Jen Precht to groundout to end the game.  

Mangia (25-8) surrendered just four hits in seven innings pitched.  The Cardinals managed just four themselves off of Leazer.  The only one that didn't go over the fence was a single by Beck in the fourth.    

“You play a team so many times and get so many looks, you are bound to hit her (Leazer),” said Mangia.  “She had a great season and was in a similar position as me, just throwing every game.  After a while, it takes a toll.”

Along with Mangia, Carly Trenhaile was also named to the All-Tournament Team.  Trenhaile hit .333 for the tournament with a double, a homer, and four driven in.  Mangia not only pitched all five games, but led the Cardinals with a .467 average, scored five runs, and drove in three. 

North Central's 35 wins this season are the third-most wins all-time in North Central history and the most since the Cardinals won 36 games in 2005.  The Cardinals also reached the 30-win plateau for the sixth-time in school history. 

“I thought we did a great job, we had a nice run, and we are very young,” said Kulawiak.