Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

KENOSHA, Wis. (Apr. 12, 2022) - The North Central College softball team had their first doubleheader split of the season, dropping their first game to the Carthage College Firebirds 2-4 before rallying for an 8-0 sweep in game two in Kenosha, Wis. on Tuesday.

With two uneventful innings to start game one, the Firebirds got aggressive as three batters reached first base and boldly stole second in the bottom of the third. Carthage's Kristina Chronos grounded out to first base and in a Cardinal effort to turn the double-play, a throwing error resulted in Carthage scoring two runs. 

The Cardinals answered in the top of the fourth with a double by Breanna Adams followed by a quick hit from Jaime Smith that forced the shortstop into an error to score Adams. In the sixth inning, leadoff batter Katie Del Re hit a single before stealing second in time to utilize a grounded out to advance to third and a fly-out to left field to tag and score for the Cardinals' last run of game one.

At the bottom of the sixth, the Firebirds saw hits by their two leadoff batters to have two runners on when Hernandez doubled to right center to score two, breaking the tie and eventually taking game one 4-2.

Adams and Smith were each credited an RBI while Adams, Del Re, and Alyssa Sturino each had one hit. Adams pitched all six innings of game one, striking out three and allowing seven hits. Her current win-loss record stands at 6-3.

The Cardinals gained an early lead in game two as Smith led-off in the second inning with a triple followed by a single from Alyssa Sturino. A sacrifice fly by Talia Torosian scored Smith and advanced Sturino to third just in time for Allison Lambert's grounder, scoring Sturino and putting the Cardinals up 2-0.

North Central's next scoring opportunity came in the fifth inning as Sturino reached on an error and promptly gained second base too. Torosian hit a single to advance Sturino to third as A. Lambert reached on a throwing error by the Firebird third basemen, scoring Sturino. Andrea Richards hit a single to right field to score Torosian bringing the score to 4-0.

The sixth inning saw singles by Alexa Sherlund to right center and a bunt by Del Re putting two base runners on as Adams hit a single to score Sherlund. Smith cranked a three run home run late in the sixth inning on a 3-2 count to secure game two 8-0. 

Smith led the Cardinals in game two with three RBI's on a homerun and a triple while A. Lambert had two RBIs and Adams, Torosian, and Richards each had one. Gianna Corban pitched all six innings of game two, securing 11 strikeouts and allowing only one hit. Corban extended her win-loss record to 4-1.

The Cardinals travel to Chicago, Ill. for a CCIW doubleheader against North Park University at the Holmgren Athletic Complex on Apr. 14. First pitch of game one is set for 3 p.m.

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