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

Game one box score
Game two box score

FORT MEYERS, Fla. (23 Mar. 2017) – Capping off their spring trip on a positive note, the North Central College softball team finished their final day with a doubleheader victory over Crown College, taking game one 9-3 and pulling out a 5-1 victory in game two Wednesday morning at Century Link Sports Complex.

North Central started game one in a hole, as a two-run homer from Crown's Lis King put the Cardinals down early. A Jenna Trojniar double in the third would knot the score at two, as Taylor Clugston and Rachele Belletini came around to score. The tie would not last long as King homered a second time, this time a solo shot to left field.

North Central would not allow another run while the Cardinals scored in every inning the rest of the way. Clugston would give North Central the lead in the fourth as a two-RBI double put the Cardinals up 4-3 and they never looked back. A three-run homer from Brooke Kehoe in the fifth increased the Cardinal lead 7-3 followed by RBI-singles in both the sixth and seventh for the 9-3 final.

The Cardinals erupted for 16 hits in game one, with their starting leadoff through eight hitter all recording at least one hit. Sarah Esposito earned the win for North Central, allowing four hits and three runs in a complete-game effort.

North Central's offense would not be as powerful in game two, tying Crown in the hits category with four each. Instead, the Cardinals relied on defense, timely hitting and effective base-running to seal the win. Facing another deficit early on, the Cardinals overcame Crown's 1-0 lead in the fourth. Thanks to a leadoff walk and a bunt single, the Cardinals runner advanced on a passed ball. A batter later, Kehoe drove in a run with a fielder's choice to the shortstop. Jenna Amazzalorso pushed across another run right after with a fielder's choice of her own, taking a 2-1 lead.

The Cardinals (7-5) put the game out of reach with a three-run sixth thanks to an RBI-single from Amazzalorso, a passed ball to score Anna Seffernick and a Madison O'Donnell RBI groundout.
Jessica Weaver would earn the win for the Cardinals, allowing four hits and one run in her complete game, forcing 16 groundouts on the day.

Seffernick and Amazzalorso were the only Cardinals to record hits on the day, each tallying two in the second game. Seffernick finished 4-for-7 on the day with three runs scored on the day. Clugston finished an impressive 4-for-5 in game one while Kehoe collected three RBI.

The Cardinals return home on Saturday, March 25 as they host St. Mary's University at 1 pm and 3 pm.