Contact: Adam Poklop, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

LISLE, Ill. (Mar. 27, 2019) – The North Central College softball team's perfect 12-game run to open the season came to a close Wednesday, as the Cardinals dropped both games of their doubleheader with Benedictine University, falling 6-3 in the opener before dropping the nightcap 13-4. 

Game one saw North Central (12-2) take a first-inning lead when Emily Miller led off with a double to center field, advancing to third on Taylor Clugston's sacrifice bunt, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Breanna Adams. The Cardinals held on to their lead for three innings, before Benedictine (9-2) seized control of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, crossing the plate six times off five hits and no errors. With two on and two out, the Cardinals surrendered three straight hits before Taylor Skraba hit a three-run homer to give her team a 6-1 lead. 

Although the Cardinals' bats got going in the seventh inning, their comeback bid ultimately fell short. Adams provided her team a baserunner when she led off with a single up the middle, and Jaime Smith connected for a home run that brought the Cardinals back to life. Molly Cann followed with a double, but the Eagles retired the next three Cardinals in order, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season.

Adams tossed four innings and absorbed the loss, moving to 4-1 on the season. Samantha Gadomoski entered the game in the fifth inning and pitched a pair of scoreless innings in relief.

The nightcap began in familiar fashion, with Emily Miller once again leading off with a base hit. A pair of sacrifices allowed Miller to advance to third and Adams hit an RBI double to give game two its first run of the game. North Central's lead proved short-lived, however, as the Eagles scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning off four hits and one error.

Benedictine increased their lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second, but Rachele Belletini's RBI single made it a two-run game in the third. Miller came through again in the top of the fourth to cut the Eagles' lead to one with an RBI single, but the Cardinals couldn't string together any more hits and left the bases loaded.
 
The hosts showcased their offense again in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs on five hits and one error, to make it a 9-3 game. Although Cann added a run for the visitors in the fourth inning with an RBI single, North Central couldn't make up the deficit and Benedictine ended the game the following inning with a two-run homer.
 
Although Gianna Corban took the loss, she finished with a game-high four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Miller and Cann both recorded multiple hits in the contest.
 
North Central looks to bounce back Saturday when they host Carroll University (10-7) for their first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) matchup of the season. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.