Contact: Ashleigh Jones, Sports Information Graduate Assistant
Game one Box Score
Game two Box Score
CHICAGO, Ill. (May 1, 2018) - The North Central College softball team finished its regular season play with a rescheduled game against the University of Chicago on May 1, splitting the series, winning 12-8 in game one, and losing in a 2-0 shut out in game two.
Leading off for North Central,
Emily Miller would single through the left side which would be just the start for the Cardinals hitting barrage in the top of the first. Following Miller's single,
Jenna Trojniar would give North Central the lead with a two-run homer out to left field.
The Cardinals' scoring would not stop there, frazzled by the homerun the Maroons' starting pitcher walked
Rachele Belletini and then had two runners on base off a single by
Samantha Phelps slipped through the right side.
With two runners on base and no outs,
Taylor Clugston would solidify the Cardinals' lead with a homerun of her own giving North Central a 5-0 lead and recording three of her six RBI in a single swing.
By the bottom of the third, in the circle,
Sarah Esposito only gave up one hit, and the Cardinals offense had extended their lead to eight.
Despite their substantial 8-0 lead, North Central traded runs with the Maroons giving up eight runs between the fourth and sixth inning. Not to be undone the Cardinals never let go of their lead and would take control offensively scoring four more runs of their own, finishing the top of the seventh 12-8.
Fortunately, the four-run lead was all that was needed to put game one away and earn the Cardinals 30th win of the regular season.
In game two North Central had the tables turned on them and were in the hole early with a 2-0 deficit looming over them in the top of the second.
Held to just three hits for the entire game the Cardinals had opportunities to not only tie but take the lead.
In the top of the second North Central had the bases loaded after Phelps doubled and was advanced to third after both
Reagan Raymer and
Jessica Weaver were walked. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were unable to capitalize on their best chance to take back the game.
Though North Central struggled at bat throughout the game, defensively the infield was sound, with just one recorded error and kept Chicago to just four hits.
With a final record of 30-8, the Cardinals were just one win away from tying the fifth-best record in program history. Though North Central's regular season record did not break into the top five, one regular season record was shattered, by none other than Miller. With Miller's three hits in the University of Chicago series, she now holds the highest number of hits (68) in a single season, bypassing Betsy Dwyer '01 and Amanda Talley '01 previous record of 66.
North Central (12- 4 CCIW) will travel to Bloomington, Illinois on Friday, May 4th for the 2018 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament. North Central is slotted as the second seed in the tournament to face Carroll University, slotted as the second-seed in the CCIW tournament.
