Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Apr. 13, 2023) - Playing their 11th and 12th straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin games of the season, the North Central College softball team fell in both games of their doubleheader against North Park University on Thursday at Shanower Family Field.

The first three innings of game one was a pitcher's duel as both teams recorded only one hit and no runs.

North Park took advantage of a two-out bunt opportunity with a runner on second base where a Cardinal throwing error brought the runner home and gave the Vikings the 1-0 lead in the fifth. Lauren Bowmar answered back with a first-pitch hit through to centerfield to reach first but was left stranded as a pair of pop-ups ended the fifth inning. 

With two outs and Torosian in the box, a hard-hit single gave the Cardinals one runner on but she was left stranded heading into the seventh. 

A leadoff single for the Vikings in the top of the seventh was the only hit by either team as game one ended 1-0 in favor of North Park. Torosian led North Central with two hits while Katie Del Re and Bowmar each had one. Bowmar pitched all seven innings, recording two strikeouts and allowing seven hits.

The Cardinals found themselves down two runs in the first inning of game two, as North Park scored on a double to left field, and a Cardinals passed ball. North Central was unable to find a scoring opportunity through the first two innings. North Park extended its lead in the third inning as their runner on second scored off of a throwing error to first base to bring the score to 3-0. 

The Cardinals found their momentum in the fourth inning as Bowmar hit a single to left field for an RBI as Alyssa Sturino came around to score. Friedlund advanced to third and Bowmar to second on the throw home before being left on base with a groundout to the Vikings shortstop leaving the score at 3-1 in North Park's favor. 

The Vikings picked up another run in the fifth inning with a single through the middle before another Viking base hit scored an unearned run off a throwing error to first. With two outs and runners on second and third, the Vikings singled to the left line to score one runner before Bailey Miller connected with Friedlund to throw the second runner out at that plate for the third and final out. The Cardinals trailed 6-1 heading into the sixth.

Charlotte Toosley picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center field to put the Cardinals up 2-6. Bowmar stepped into the box with two outs and launched a two-run home run over the left-center field fence to put North Central in a two-run deficit to the Vikings at 6-4. 

North Park scored on a wild pitch in the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 7-4. North Central made contact in their first three at-bats in the seventh inning but was downed by the North Park defense. Del Re and Bowmar each had two hits while a trio of Cardinals made up the team's seven hits. Caroline Dooley pitched five innings in game two, taking the loss while totaling three strikeouts and allowing nine hits. 

The Cardinals host Mount Mary College for a doubleheader Friday, April 14. The first game is set for 3 p.m. at Shanower Family Field. 

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