Contact: Tyler Friel, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 18, 2016) – Facing two very tough opponents, the North Central College softball team was able to split their double header, taking game one 5-3 against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts but falling 12-1 against Whitworth University in game two.

Andrea Starr would be the game one starter for the Cardinals, allowing only three hits in her first four shutout innings. North Central would get on the board first after trading zeros with MCLA the first three innings. Samantha Anderson started the inning with a lead-off double followed by advancing to third on a MCLA error and scoring on a wild pitch only two batters later. Rachele Belletini tripled later in the inning bringing home Amanda Walker while Jenna Trojniar capped off the inning with a RBI double. North Central tacked on another run in the fifth with Walker reaching on an error, bringing home Taylor Clugston. In the bottom of the sixth, MCLA would take advantage of a Cardinals miscue, allowing them to score three runs on the inning to bring them within one. North Central added an insurance run in the seventh with Anderson driving home Clugston on an RBI double. Starr would shut down any possibility of a Trailblazer threat, recording three fly-outs to end the game.

Starr earned her second win of the season, throwing a complete game allowing only one earned run on five hits.

In game two the Cardinals would be on the wrong end of a high powered Whitworth offense combined with a shutdown defense. Whitworth would score in all but one inning, forcing the Cardinals to use three pitchers on the day. The Cardinals would commit key errors as Whitworth would take advantage of the mistakes. North Central's offense could not seem to get anything going all day, tallying only five hits on the day and one run thanks to an Amanda Walker RBI-double in the fifth. Unfortunately, that would be the only run for the Cardinals as the game would be called after five innings.

North Central continues play tomorrow with another double header. Game one against Greenville College is at 2 pm with the nightcap at 4 against Bates College.