Softball team
Kim Ippolito

Softball

Softball Ends Season with Final Loss at Regionals

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

Box Score

LAKE FOREST Ill. (May 9, 2015) – Picking up in the seventh inning after a weather delay on Friday, the North Central College softball team couldn't rally for the win against the Lake Forest College Foresters in a season ending game of the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament where the Cardinals fell, 2-1, on Saturday.

Hope College and Lake Forest will compete in the championship game on Saturday with the winner advancing to Super Regionals next weekend.

"When you play the abbreviated situation you always hope that the time you have off will prepare you," said head coach Jim Kulawiak. "We went into it with a good mindset, but unfortunately didn't turn out the way we'd like."

The Cardinals wrapped up the season 32-9 overall and 11-3 in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play.

"It's difficult when you had a really fine season and when you get to the end and you don't play what you feel you are capable of showing," said Kulawiak. "And I just felt the last couple of weeks we were in that mode."

Andrea Starr got the lone RBI for North Central this game, hitting a shot to right center for a single that scored in Carly Trenhaile at the top of the sixth.

Lake Forest (33-9) responded immediatley at the bottom half of the inning, getting three singles and advancing on a fielding error to take the lead.

Entering the top of the seventh with the season on the line, Cecie Portillo started the inning with a walk to get on base. After the weather delay, Kiersten Tinkoff returned to the plate and singled to advance Portillo and get two runners on with one out. But the Cardinals weren't able to score anyone else as they fell 2-1 to end the season.

"I think we did a good job," said Portillo. "We came a long way. We have a big graudating class and a huge incoming and we did well with what we had."

"We hope we can pass on the leadership that we try to give to our teammates," said TInkoff.  "We hope that they take all the things that we tried to implement with our team and use it for next year. That's what it's like to be a Cardinal, we always come back fighting."
 
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Players Mentioned

Cecie Portillo

#11 Cecie Portillo

SS
5' 2"
Senior
R/R
Andrea Starr

#15 Andrea Starr

P
5' 6"
Junior
R/R
Kiersten Tinkoff

#13 Kiersten Tinkoff

1B
5' 10"
Senior
L/L
Carly Trenhaile

#7 Carly Trenhaile

OF
5' 4"
Senior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Cecie Portillo

#11 Cecie Portillo

5' 2"
Senior
R/R
SS
Andrea Starr

#15 Andrea Starr

5' 6"
Junior
R/R
P
Kiersten Tinkoff

#13 Kiersten Tinkoff

5' 10"
Senior
L/L
1B
Carly Trenhaile

#7 Carly Trenhaile

5' 4"
Senior
R/R
OF