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

CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 10, 2026)- In action for a third consecutive day competing in THE Spring Games, the North Central College softball team dropped Tuesday morning's contests to Regis College, 5-1, and Blackburn College, 1-0, at Hancock Park.

The Cardinals faced a 2-0 deficit after the first inning, scoring two runs on three hits, beginning with a leadoff triple followed by an RBI single to score first. An RBI double to left center field by Regis put them up 2-0. In the bottom of the first, Gwen Shouse led the inning off with an infield single and stole second base to move into scoring position. Ultimately, she was left stranded on second base. Starting pitcher Juliana Maude settled in in the top of the second inning, retiring the side with two groundouts and a strikeout looking. 

Regis added a third run in the top of the third inning on three singles to take a 3-0 lead, and Maude responded by going 1-2-3 in the fourth inning and striking out the side in the fifth inning. Offensively, Hailey Morsovillo singled in the bottom of the fourth and advanced to second on an error but was stranded. The Cardinals had Nicole Stone at third base in the sixth inning after a Morsovillo single, but North Central failed to score. In the seventh inning, Regis took advantage of a North Central error, putting two runners into scoring position and scoring them on an RBI single for a 5-0 lead. The Cardinals added a run in the seventh after Carley Creeth went first to third on a Charlotte Toosley single. Creeth then scored on a Shouse RBI single into left field for the 5-1 final. 

The Cardinals had nine base runners in game one, behind eight hits and one free pass. Shouse and Creeth each had two hits, with Shouse driving in the lone North Central run. Maude took the loss in game two despite a seven-inning performance where she struck out 12 batters.

Sam Schilf made the start in game two and had a strong outing, retiring the side in the bottom of the first inning. North Central got their first base runner in the second inning with a Lauren Bowmar walk but left her on base. The only run scored in game two came in the second inning as Blackburn's RBI double gave them the 1-0 lead. 

Schilf worked out of trouble on the basepaths in the fourth inning after surrendering a pair of singles. Another single led to a relay throw from Sydney Nienhouse to cut down a runner trying to score. The play then turned into a double play after Creeth at home threw to Stone at third to double up the runners. The inning ended with no runs scored after a popout to third base. Looking to make a comeback, Morsovillo singled in the seventh inning with one out, but the Cardinals couldn't string together enough offense to drive her home. 

Despite the effort, Schilf was given the loss, going six innings, giving up one run, and striking out three batters. North Central had two baserunners in game two. 

Softball gets the day off before returning to the field on Thursday, Mar. 12, where they will face Roger Williams University with a first pitch set for 12:15 p.m. (ET) and William Peace University with a 2:30 p.m. (ET) first pitch.