Contact: Adam Poklop, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-530

Game 1 Box Score

Game  2 Box Score

ELMHURST, Ill. (Apr. 11, 2019) – The North Central College softball team picked up a pair of College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) wins over Elmhurst College (7-14, 1-5 CCIW) Thursday, outlasting the Bluejays in a 10-inning marathon before riding a pair of home runs from Rachele Belletini to a 7-1 victory in the nightcap. 

Game one was a back-and-forth contest that began with North Central (18-6, 4-0 CCIW) scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. Rachele Belletini doubled to right center field brining in one run, while Molly Cann hit an RBI triple a couple batters later, her first of the season.

But Elmhurst responded by scoring four runs over the first three innings to take a 4-2 lead. The Cardinals struck twice in the fourth to make it a tie game, taking advantage of a Bluejay error after Lisa Harrington laid down, which allowed Cann to score, while Nykia Wetterman drove in the other run.  An inning later Samantha Gadomski reclaimed North Central's lead with an RBI-single through the left side. 

The Bluejays weren't done though, tying the game in the sixth inning. With either team able to do anything in the seventh, the game headed to the eighth, for North Central's first extra-inning game of the season. 

Gadomski led off the 10th inning with a single up the middle, followed by a walk from Wetterman and a single from Taylor Clugtson to load the bases, bringing Emily Miller to the plate with one out. Miller grounded to the shortstop, who threw home to get Gadomski out at the plate, but the catcher made a crucial throwing error that allowed three Cardinals to come across the plate.

Elmhurst's comeback bid came up just short in the bottom half of the inning. With one out and runners on second and third, Corban took over on the rubber only to hit the first batter she faced, loading the bases. But she forced a pop up right back to her and then struck out the next Bluejay hitter to end the game.

Breanna Adams took the win and moved to 6-3 on the year. The freshman tossed 7.1 innings and recorded two strikeouts while only surrendering one earned run. Corban picked up her third save of the season, striking out one without giving up any hits.

Cann went three-for-four with a run and an RBI, while Gadomski went three-for-five, also tallying a run and an RBI.

After falling short, the Bluejays kicked off the nightcap by scoring three runs in the first inning off three hits. It only took until the second inning for North Central to find its answer. Miller knocked an RBI double to put the Cardinals on the board and Belletini put them ahead with a three-run homer to left field. 

Spectators and players at Salt Creek park were treated to some déjà vu in the fourth inning, when Belletini hit an identical three-run homer to the same spot, scoring the same runners, to push North Central's lead to 7-1, where it would remain when the game was called in the fifth inning due to darkness. 

In a complete-game showing, Corban struck out three and improved to 8-3.

Miller (two-four-four) and Belletini (two-for-two) each recorded multiple hits in the game. Belletini now ranks second among CCIW players with six home runs on the season, and her performance makes her the only active North Central softball player to hit multiple home runs in a single game. 

North Central is back at home on Apr. 13 for a doubleheader with Mount Mary College. Game time at Shanower Family Field is set for 1 p.m.