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

DECATUR, Ill. (Apr. 18, 2025)- Struggling to get the bats going in Decatur, the North Central softball team came away empty in a doubleheader against the Millikin Big Blue Friday at Workman Family Field. The Big Blue took game one, 7-0, and came back late in game two to win 3-2. 

Juliana Maude started game one and faced a deficit early as the Big Blue put up three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The bases were loaded with one out, and the Big Blue scored off a fielder's choice, a single, and a sacrifice fly. With a 3-0 lead, Millikin added on in the fourth inning, scoring three more. With bases loaded, the Big Blue took advantage of a wild pitch and a passed ball to put two more runs on the board. Millikin put up a sixth run on a RBI fielder's choice to hold a 6-0 lead after four innings. A sacrifice bunt RBI put the finishing touches on the 7-0 game. 

The Cardinals were silent offensively in game one, reaching base eight times total behind Sydney Nienhouse's 3-for-3 game. Maude took the loss in game one, pitching four innings, giving up five hits and six runs, with three of them being charged to her, and walking three. Taylor Warren finished the game pitching two innings, allowing one run and striking out one. 

North Central gained the upper hand in game two, jumping ahead with a 2-0 lead after solo home runs from Kayla Crabtree in the second inning and Bailey Miller in the third inning. Sam Schilf, who started in game two, took a perfect game into the fifth inning, where she ran into trouble. Millikin got on the board after a RBI triple and tied the game in the next at-bat with a RBI single. 

The Cardinals failed to regain the lead, and the Big Blue took the 3-2 lead in the sixth with another RBI triple. Maude would finish the game after Schilf failed to get through the sixth inning. With a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth and two outs, Talia Torosian was thrown out at home on a throw from center field after Crabtree singled with runners on first and second.

Schilf registered the loss in game two, going 5.2 innings pitched, giving up five hits and three earned runs while striking out three and walking one. Crabtree hit her third home run of the season, and Miller hit her second as North Central dropped both games to Millikin. 

North Central (15-13, 4-4 CCIW) returns to action Saturday, April 19, for a doubleheader against the Augustana University Vikings (20-6, 8-2 CCIW) in Naperville. First pitch from Shanower Family Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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