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

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Apr. 26, 2025)- Attempting to come from behind twice in their doubleheader against the Greenville University Panthers, the North Central College softball team dropped both games on senior day Saturday at Shanower Family Field. The Cardinals dropped game one by a score of 5-3 and game two 4-3. 

North Central found themselves down early in game one, trailing by a score of 2-0 after three innings. Greenville jumped ahead in the first inning with an RBI single and added a second run off of a fielder's choice in the third. A two-out rally catapulted the Cardinals ahead in the sixth inning, 3-2, after Kayla Crabtree hit a single to the shortstop, sneaking through the glove of Greenville's Josie Grunloh, which scored Gracie Vlach. A batter later, Ronnie Latka took a pitch down the right field line and to the warning track for a two-RBI triple, plating Talia Torosian and Charlotte Toosley, who came in as a pinch runner for Crabtree. 

Looking to close out the Panthers, starting pitcher Taylor Warren entered the seventh inning searching for the final three outs. After striking out the first batter, Warren proceeded to walk the next two batters, and Juliana Maude relieved Warren. The first batter Maude faced singled to center field and tied the game, 3-3. The Panthers took the 4-3 lead with two outs in the inning after a single to left and added one more insurance run after a single to Bailey Miller in right field. Greenville tried to score two runs on the single, but the relay throw home caught the second base runner, ending the rally for the Panthers at a score of 5-3. In the bottom of the seventh, Rachael Madsen represented the tying run to the plate, and she flew out to center field. 

Warren received the loss for the game as she exited with two runners on; both came around to score to give Greenville the 4-3 lead. Her final stat line was 6.1 innings, five hits, four runs, six walks, and five strikeouts. Latka had a pair of hits, including the go-ahead triple in the sixth inning. 

In the second game, the Cardinals faced a 1-0 deficit after the first inning after Grunloh led off with a single to center, got bunted over to second, advanced to third on a wild pitch by Sam Schilf, and scored on a second wild pitch. Schilf settled in through the fifth inning, allowing just one hit after. Greenville added to their lead in the sixth inning after five innings of a pitcher's duel. The Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the sixth after an RBI single before another wild pitch scored a third run. Greenville capped off the inning with a 4-0 lead with a fourth single in the inning. 

North Central attempted to make the comeback in the bottom of the seventh with Megan Traxinger, who drew a walk after she came in to pinch hit. With two outs, the Cardinals rallied with four consecutive singles. Sydney Nienhouse singled to move Lauren Bowmar to third, and Madsen scored Bowmar with a single to left field to get the Cardinals on the board, 4-1. Vlach singled to right field to load the bases for Torosian. A clutch single to center field plated two and brought the Cardinals to within one. With Vlach on second and Torosian on first, Hailey Morsovillo slapped a single to right field to keep the Cardinals alive and the bases loaded for Crabtree. After taking the first pitch, Crabtree flew out to left field to end the Cardinals comeback hopes with a final score of 4-3. 

Vlach, Morsovillo, and Nienhouse each had two hits in game two, while Torosian drove in two clutch RBIs in the seventh. Schilf registered the loss in game two, pitching seven innings while giving up four runs on seven hits and three walks and striking out five. 

The Cardinals (18-20, 7-9 CCIW) conclude regular season play against the Lake Forest Foresters (20-13-1, 10-2 MWC) on Tuesday, April 29, at Mohr Field. The game will begin at 3 p.m. 

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