Contact: Sam Fretto, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu
WHEATON, Ill. (Apr. 24, 2025)- The North Central College softball team concluded College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season competition with a sweep against the Wheaton College Thunder at Ruth Leedy Field on Thursday. The Cardinals won game one, 3-2, and game two, 2-1.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. With runners on second and third, Lauren Bowmar took an opposite-field single to drive in Ronnie Latka and Charlotte Toosely, who came in as a pinch runner for Hailey Morsovillo. The Thunder cut the lead to one after an RBI single in the bottom half of the second. With a 2-1 lead, the Cardinals added an insurance run in the fifth inning with a Kayla Crabtree single to right field, plating Talia Torosian. Wheaton attempted to make the comeback but could only score one more run in the fifth inning off an RBI single. In the remaining two innings, the Thunder sent seven up, and Sam Schilf retired six for the win and complete game.
Schilf collected her eighth win of the season, pitching seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks, and striking out four. North Central had 13 hits, with Morsovillo having a 3-for-3 game at the plate and Bowmar driving two runners in, her 10th and 11th RBI of the year.
In game two, the Cardinals scored a run in the second inning to take the 1-0 advantage after Latka led off with a triple to right field and Bowmar drove her in with a ground out. The next inning, Gracie Vlach reached base safely on an error by the Thunder and was scored on a Latka double to right field.
Juliana Maude cruised through the Wheaton lineup before getting into a seventh-inning jam. Looking for the complete game shutout, the Thunder got two runners aboard and scored one with a sacrifice fly. A groundout to shortstop put the Thunder away for the 2-1 final.
Latka collected two extra-base hits, an RBI, and a run scored in game two. Maude picked up her 9th win of the season, pitching all seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four.
The Cardinals return home Saturday, April 26th, for senior day as they host Greenville University. First pitch from Shanower Family Field starts at 1 p.m.
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