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

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Mar. 10, 2024) - Improving its record to 5-1 on its season-opening Spring Break schedule, the North Central College softball team posted consecutive shutout victories Sunday by defeating Ripon College (Wisconsin), 3-0, and the College of St. Scholastica (Minnesota), 9-0, at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex.

Three Cardinal pitchers combined to keep Ripon (0-3) off the scoreboard in the opener as Caroline Dooley handled the first three innings before Taylor Warren came on in relief. Juliana Maude came on with runners on first second with two out in the fifth inning and pitched the final 2 1/3 innings. The trio combined to scatter eight hits and one walk while striking out four.

North Central opened the scoring in the second as Hailey Morsovillo led off with a base hit up the middle and scored on a two-out single by Sarah Lynch. Rachel Madsen smacked a leadoff double to left center in the fourth and crossed the plate on Gracie Vlach's single, and Lauren Bowmar's double in the fifth plated Talia Torosian, who led off with a base hit. 

Morsovillo, who went 2 for 3 in the day's first game, drove in the opening run of the nightcap with a first-inning base hit to score Vlach, who led off with a single and stole second. Lynch and Madsen reached on back-to-back singles to start the second inning before Katie Del Re's single down the left-field line brought both home and extended the lead to 3-0.

The Cardinals took firm control of the game with a four-run fourth inning. Madsen and Bailey Miller both scored on an error and Torosian contributed a sacrifice fly before Del Re scored on a wild pitch. Del Re walked to lead off the sixth inning and scored on a double by Torosian, who later scored on Morsovillo's groundout.

Madsen went 3 for 3 against the Saints (0-4) while Torosian went 2 for 3. Warren pitched six innings for a complete-game shutout, striking out seven while allowing three hits and one walk. 

North Central resumes play at THE Spring Games Monday, taking on No. 11-ranked Bethel University (Minnesota) and Edgewood College (Wisconsin) at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex in Leesburg. Live video coverage is available on a pay-per-view basis at www.flosoftball.com. 

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