Contact: Ashleigh Jones, Sports Information Graduate Assistant 

Game one Box Score 

Game two Box Score 

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (April 28, 2018)- The North Central College softball team closed out its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season play with a series sweep over Augustana College on Saturday, beating the Vikings 7-3 and 2-1, clinching second place in the CCIW. 

With the help of some timely hitting and five errors committed by Augustana, the Cardinals were able to come out on top after falling behind in the bottom of the second.  

Down 3-0, the Cardinals would catch a break and score a run following the stealthy base running of Taylor Clugston and a timely error committed by the Vikings' second baseman.  

With just one recorded hit and a total of seven runners left on base after the fourth inning, North Central came back to bat at the top of the fifth fired up.  

Rachele Belletini opened the top of the fifth with a single, which was followed up with a resounding two-run homer by Samantha Phelps to tie the game 3-3.  

From then on the Cardinals' defense took over allowing no runs or hits and committed no errors in the remaining three innings.  

Defensively, Augustana had no way to hold North Central to three runs. With a pitching change in the top of the sixth, the Cardinals quickly loaded the bases after two walks and an error committed by the Vikings pitcher.   

Despite catching Anna Seffernick at home to keep the game tied at three, North Central's aggressive base running by Emily Miller and Jenna Trojniar gave the Cardinals a 5-3 lead in the fifth.  

North Central would jump to a commanding 7-3 lead, thanks to a solo homerun by Jamie Smith, the first of her career, and off the Vikings fifth and final error of the game, solidifying its fourth win in a row.  

In game two of the doubleheader, Augustana would once again get on the board first in the top of the second.  

Though the Cardinals did not have an answer right away, in the bottom of the third, North Central would tally two runs off of four hits giving them a 2-1 lead.  

Thanks to stellar pitching by Jennifer Yager in the circle, and strong fielding, the Cardinals would hold the Vikings off for the remainder of the game, allowing just two more hits and committing no errors in the last four innings of the game. This win would give Yager her twelfth win of the season earning her a spot in North Central's 20-Win Club.

North Central (28-6, 12-4 CCIW) host its final home doubleheader of the regular season against Kalamazoo College on Sunday, April 29. First pitch for game one is set for 12 PM, and between game one and two, the Cardinals will celebrate Senior Day. For in-game audio click HERE.