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

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (May 1st, 2021) - Playing in their final home games of the season, the North Central College softball team lost both ends of a doubleheader against the Illinois Wesleyan Titans on senior day at Shanower Family Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Cardinals struck early as Katie Del Re led off the game with a single up the middle. After advancing to third Del Re scored on an error to card the first run of the game. The Titans came back and tied the game at one apiece in the top half of the fourth. 

In the top of the sixth inning, Hope Yoeman hit a two-run single to break the tie and give Illinois Wesleyan a 3-1 advantage. Alyssa Cork hit a single up the middle to get the action started for North Central in the bottom of the seventh inning. Samantha Gadomski followed that up with a single through the right side to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. After moving the runners to second and third, the Cardinals recorded the final out via runner's interference to fall 3-1.

Following three scoreless innings in game two, the Titans put the first run on the board, thanks to a two-out single. North Central responded in the top half of the fifth as Del Re doubled down the left-field line to plate Amanda Martinez. After Jaime Smith got hit by a pitch and Emily Miller walked, Breanna Adams singled to score both Smith and Del Re and tie the game at three.

The next half-inning, the Titans loaded the bases before Toni Tortorella cleared the bases on a three-run double. They added another to give Illinois Wesleyan a 5-3 lead through five innings of play.

Talia Torosian doubled to begin the top of the sixth inning. After a Titan error, Gianna Corban scored Torosian on a sacrifice fly to right field. Del Re then doubled to left-center to plate Kylie Ryza and knot the game at five apiece. 

Illinois Wesleyan used a Cardinal error to score two runs and win both games of the doubleheader.

The Cardinals travel to Augustana tomorrow afternoon for their final regular-season games at Carver Field in Rock Island. You can view full in-game coverage to those contests, which begin at 1:00 PM, by visiting the link HERE.

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