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

Game 1 box score
Game 2 box score

CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 21, 2016) – The North Central College softball team continued their success on their spring trip, defeating nationally ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 2-1 before beating St. Norbert 5-1 on Monday night.

The Titans would strike in the first, putting up one run on three hits, but that would be the lone run for Oshkosh as the Cardinals played their best defense the rest of the way. North Central (6-2) took the lead in the second as Rachele Belletini led off with a single and a Titan error allowed the Cardinals to have runners on first and second with nobody out. Two outs later, Bri Floyd delivered a single up the middle to score Belletini and Brooke Kehoe. That would be the only lead the Cardinals needed as the defense and pitching stepped up to secure the win, leaving the tying run for the Titans stranded at third in the seventh.

Andrea Starr (3-1) dominated all game, allowing one run on a mere five hits while striking out six and throwing a shutout in the final six innings.

Starr continued her success in game two, accounting for all of the RBI's and four of the Cardinals five runs. In the first, Taylor Clugston tripled, allowing Starr to drive her in two batters later. In the fourth, Kehoe scored after a leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt by Jenna Trojniar, and an error by the Green Knights.

After back-to-back singles by Clugston and Amanda Walker in the seventh, Starr recorded three RBI's with one swing of the bat, homering and extending the Cardinal lead 5-0. St. Norbert scored one in the bottom half of the inning on three hits but left the bases loaded to end the game.

Sarah Esposito earned her third win of the season, giving up only one run on five hits. The one-two pitching combo of Starr and Esposito has already proved to be very successful and something the Cardinals can rely on to give them a chance to compete.

North Central plays games nine and ten tomorrow starting at 8 am against Fontbonne University. Benedictine caps off the day with a matchup at 10 am. Live stats and audio for game one can be found HERE.