Contact: Sam Fretto, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu

PEORIA, Ill. (Feb. 19, 2026)- Opening the season at the domed Louisville Slugger Complex for a neutral-site doubleheader against Loras College, the North Central College softball team dropped both games, losing game one by a score of 7-4 and game two by a score of 6-1. 

Getting the game one start, Juliana Maude retired the Duhawks in order with a punch out, a ground out to shortstop and a second strikeout. In the bottom half of the first, Gwen Shouse reached on an error by second base and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Nicole Stone drove in the first run of the 2026 Cardinals' season with a double to left center field, driving home Shouse. 

Alyssa Barowski came in as a pinch runner for Stone and the Cardinals extended the lead to 2-0 after Hailey Morsovillo doubled on a ball hit to the second base bag and ricocheted into left field. Barowski went from second to home on the base hit and Morsovillo advanced to third base after a field error in left field. 

Maude returned to the mound in the top of the second inning and had another flawless frame, inducing a flyout, a third strikeout, and a groundout to second base. In the bottom of the second inning, Bailey Miller gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead with a solo blast over center field. 

The Duhawks responded in the third inning with a five-run frame after a single, a walk and a three-run home run tied the game 3-3. Maude surrendered a double in the following at-bat and gave up her second home run of the frame as the Cardinals trailed 5-3. 

North Central threatened to score in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners on the corners and one out after Carley Creeth walked and Charlotte Toosley singled, and both advanced on a wild pitch. Miller struck out and Shouse grounded out to first to end the scoring threat. 

Loras used three hits in the top of the fifth inning to score two additional insurance runs to take a 7-3 lead. With a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth, North Central failed to chip into the lead. The Cardinals scored one more time in the bottom of the seventh as Morsovillo drove in Shouse, who drew a leadoff walk, for the 7-4 final. 

Maude suffered the loss, tossing seven innings, giving up eight hits and seven runs while striking out 10 and walking two. 

Flipping sides in game two, Shouse led off the top of the first inning with her first career collegiate hit, but the Cardinals failed to capitalize after she advanced to scoring position. Sam Schilf, making the game two start, allowed a leadoff walk and a single to put runners on first and second with nobody out. After a fielder's choice cut down the lead runner, the Duhawks put the first run on the board with a single to center field. Schilf bunkered down and finished the frame with a swinging strikeout and a groundout to keep the game at 1-0. 

A five-run frame in the bottom of the second by the Duhawks put them up 6-0, using five hits and an error. With one out and runners on second and third after back-to-back singles, a fielder's choice scored a runner to make it 2-0. Following the fielder's choice, three consecutive batters reached base safely with singles, scoring four more runs. Schilf escaped the frame with back-to-back punch-outs to end the inning. 

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning with the help of three singles. With two outs, Lauren Bowmar struck out swinging to end the threat, keeping it a 6-0 game. In the top of the fifth, Toosley led off with a single and Shouse followed suit, moving Toosley to scoring position. Ultimately three consecutive flyouts ended the inning. North Central scored in the 6th inning after a Reese Johnson double moved Creeth to third and Toosley singled her home to make it 6-1. 

Schilf took the loss in game two, pitching six innings and surrendering six runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out eight. Creeth had a 3-for-3 performance in game two and scored once. 

Softball returns to the diamond when they travel to Florida for THE Spring Games on Sunday, Mar. 8, when they face Rhode Island College with a 12:30 (ET) first pitch.