Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
LEESBURG, Fla. (Mar. 11, 2024) - The North Central College softball team continued its run of strong play Monday at THE Spring Games, opening the day with a 7-6 defeat of No. 11-ranked Bethel University (Minnesota) before posting a 3-0 shutout of Edgewood College (Wisconsin) at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex.
Monday's first game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when the Cardinals (7-1) jumped ahead by scoring a pair of runs with two outs. Gracie Vlach walked and advanced to second base on Talia Torosian's single before the pair scored on consecutive base hits by Hailey Morsovillo and Lauren Bowmar.
The Royals (7-2) responded with four runs in the fourth inning as the first seven Bethel batters reached base safely. Relief pitcher Taylor Warren was able to get three consecutive outs to retire the side and set the stage for what would become the game-winning rally as Sarah Lynch walked and Bailey Miller singled to open the home half of the inning.
Kayla Crabtree's sacrifice bunt moved the runners before an infield single by Vlach brought Lynch across the plate. Katie Del Re ripped a triple to left field to bring home Miller and Vlach, putting North Central back in front, before scoring on Torosian's sacrifice fly. Morsovillo folowed with a single through the right side before scoring on Bowmar's double to center field, setting the Cardinals up with a 7-4 advantage.
Bethel's comeback effort in the seventh nearly brought it level, as Mandalyn Franks led off with a double and scored on Autumn Earney's base hit. Earney advanced to second on the throw home and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before Warren induced an infield popup for the second out.
Abby Otterness cut the Cardinals' lead to 7-6 with a two-out RBI single, but Warren was able to get a popup to Del Re to close out North Central's first victory over a nationally-ranked program since a 1-0 win over No. 22-ranked Millikin University on May 7, 2022. The Cardinals' most recent victory over a team ranked so high was a 7-3 triumph over No. 6-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University Apr. 18, 2015.
Warren pitched the final four innings and improved to 3-0 with the win, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one. Bowmar went 3 for 4 at the plate while Del Re and Morsovillo each finished 2 for 4.
Juliana Maude pitched a complete-game shutout for the second time in four starts in Monday's second game, yielding just two hits and one walk and recording five strikeouts. Vlach led off the inning with a base hit and scored on a single by Morsovillo, who crossed the plate on a two-out double by Rachael Madsen. Del Re opened the seventh inning with a single and scored the game's final run on a wild pitch.
Vlach went 3 for 4 at the plate, while Del Re finished 2 for 2 with two sacrifice bunts, Emma Friedlund went 2 for 3 and Bowmar was 2 for 4 as North Central recorded a season-best 12 hits.
The Cardinals resume competition Wednesday, taking on Farmingdale State College (New York) at 3:15 p.m. Eastern time before facing Salem State University (Massachusetts) at 5:15. Live video coverage is available on a pay-per-view basis at www.flosoftball.com.
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