Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Apr. 27th, 2021) - Snapping a five-game losing streak against Illinois Wesleyan, the North Central College softball team took both ends of the doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon to improve to 18-13 overall (14-11, CCIW) and extend their win streak to five games.

The Cardinals bats were hot early as Jaime Smith took advantage of a Titan error to reach first base safely. She came around to score following singles by Emily Miller and Breanna Adams to put the first run on the board. With the bases now loaded, thanks to another North Central single, this time by Talia Torosian, Alyssa Cork walked to plate Miller. Elena Stevenson then recorded the fourth hit of the inning for the Cardinals who took a 3-0 lead into the second inning.

Leading off for the second straight inning, Katie Del Re singled to left and moved to second base on a Smith sacrifice bunt. Adams posted her second RBI of the day by scoring Del Re with only one out. Torosian followed that up with a double to bring home Miller who singled earlier in the inning. After a Titan pitching change, Cork reached on an error that allowed both Adams and Torosian to score, giving the Cardinals a 7-0 lead after two innings of play.

The Titans tried to claw back by adding a run in the bottom half of the second and third innings, but Gianna Corban totaled nine strikeouts as North Central won 9-2 in game one.

Picking up where they left off, Del Re used a six-pitch at-bat to walk before stealing second base and advancing to third on a wild pitch. Smith brought her home giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Adams added to the Cardinals total when she singled to give Miller her fourth run of the day. 

In the third inning, Del Re led off with a double down the left-field line. On the very next pitch, Smith singled up the middle to increase the Cardinal lead to 3-0, as Del Re scored from second. Starting game two in the circle, Adams held the Titans to just three hits through six innings of play. North Central tacked on a fourth run of the game when Adams scored on a Dakota Novak single. Adams was stellar in the circle as she held Illinois Wesleyan scoreless.

Despite scoring a run and earning a walk in the first inning, Miller's hit streak ends at 17, which ranks fifth all-time in program history. The senior has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games. Katie Del Re added to her current hit streak of 14 games. With nine strikeouts in game one, Corban has eclipsed the 100 strikeout mark on the year and moves into fifth all-time for strikeouts in a career.

North Central finishes the doubleheader against Millikin tomorrow afternoon as the first pitch is set for 3:00 PM at Shanower Family Field. You can find links to full in-game coverage HERE.

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