FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kim Ippolito, Graduate Assistant to Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

April 17, 2014 – The North Central College softball team won both games against conference foe Wheaton College Thunder 3-1 and 4-3 on Thursday at Shanower Family Field.

The 16^th ranked Cardinals (25-5, CCIW 8-2) had a slow start to game one. The Thunder (13-13, CCIW 1-7) put one on the board in the second inning with a double to right field that was eventually knocked in for a run.

North Central finally came alive with the bats in the bottom of the sixth when Cecie Portillo reached on an error and was pushed in for their first run from Amanda Walker. Brooke Kehoe followed with a single down the left side that scored in Carly Trenhaile, Kelsey Hayen and Walker.

Starter Vlasta Mangia held the Thunder in the seventh with one strikeout and two groundouts winning, 3-1.

In game two, North Central remained consistent tallying in runs in the first, second and fourth innings. Starr hit two doubles with RBI and Trenhaile smacked a triple down the right field line in the seventh to bring in Amanda Cooper for their final run.

The Cardinals almost allowed too many runners in the bottom of the seventh as the Thunder tried to rally back. North Central's error and fielding choices led Wheaton to bring in two across home plate. But then a hard hit grounder to Taylor Ryan at second secured the final out and win, 4-3.

North Central competes at home again on Saturday in a nonconference double header against University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with game time scheduled for 1 p.m.