Contact: Sam Fretto, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Apr. 16, 2025)- Behind two dominant outings from Juliana Maude, the North Central College softball team swept the North Park Vikings Wednesday at Shanower Family Field. The Cardinals took game one by a score of 4-2 and game two by a score of 2-1. 

Sam Schilf started game one but exited in the second inning with one out after allowing one run after a Vikings RBI double. Maude came in relief for Schilf after she loaded the bases. Maude got out of the jam with a 3-2-3 double play. The Cardinals took a 4-1 advantage in the bottom of the second inning after the Cardinals loaded the bases with a single by Hailey Morsovillo, a Carley Creeth walk, and a Megan Traxinger single. With Bailey Miller up, she hit her first career home run, which was a grand slam. 

Maude continued to dominate the Vikings, allowing just one hit over the next four innings and punching out seven. North Park attempted to make the comeback in game one as they loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with nobody out. The Vikings scored a run after a Cardinal error but were retired in the following three at-bats. 

Game two had both teams scoreless through three innings before the Cardinals struck in the fourth inning. Talia Torosian led off the fourth inning with a triple down the right field line, and Morsovillo drove her in with a single the next at-bat. North Park responded in the bottom half of the fourth, leading off with a double and driving the runner in with a RBI single to make it 1-1. 

The Cardinals retook the lead in the top of the sixth inning as Morsovillo led off with a single and was pulled for pinch runner Reese Johnson. Johnson swiped second base and got moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt from Kayla Crabtree. Creeth singled home Johnson for the 2-1 lead. Maude took the lead into the seventh inning, where she got out of a jam with a double play to end the game. 

Maude combined to pitch 12.2 innings while striking out 14 batters and allowing just two runs, with only one of them being earned. She moved to 8-4 on the season and lowered her season ERA to 2.66. 

North Central (14-11, 4-2 CCIW) hits the road on Friday, April 18, for a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin doubleheader against the Millikin Big Blue (16-12, 4-4 CCIW) at Workman Family Field in Decatur, Ill. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

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