Contact: Sam Fretto, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu. Story written by Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu.
CLERMONT, Fla. (March 13, 2026) – The North Central College softball program split its two contests for the second consecutive day, dropping a heartbreaker in extras to Heidelberg University in their morning matchup, and dismantling Curry College 9-3 in the afternoon window. Hailey Morsovillo paced the Cardinal offense, collecting five hits and three RBI over the twinbill, while Sam Schilf made appearances in the circle in both contests, getting the win in game number two.
Game One: vs. Heidelberg
Bailey Miller recorded three hits and Morsovillo collected two RBI to lead the offensive effort for North Central in its first game of the day against Heidelberg (6-3), a contest the Berg would win in eight innings.
After holding the Cardinals off the scoreboard in the top of the first, Heidelberg grabbed an early lead in the home half of the frame. Hannah Hashman singled on a bunt and proceeded to record a "Rickey Henderson triple," stealing both second and third during Cara Meyer's at-bat. After Hashman had reached third, Meyer grounded out to second, plating Hashman and giving the Berg an early 1-0 advantage.
Schilf, who started in the circle for the Cardinals, settled in from there, keeping Heidelberg off the scoreboard the next three innings of work.
While Schilf kept the deficit to just one run, the North Central (4-7) bats remained cold as they tried to start a rally. North Central stranded runners in the second and third innings and went down in order in the fourth.
After Schilf turned Heidelberg away again at the bottom of the fourth by stranding two runners, the North Central bats came to life in the top of the fifth. Miller started the party with a single up the middle, and Emma Herder, who had just come off the bench, singled two batters later to put runners at the corners with one out. Gwen Shouse sent a sharp single through the left side on the next pitch, bringing Miller in to score, tying the game at one. The Cardinals weren't done there, as Morsovillo came up to the plate with two outs after a Gracie Vlach groundout advanced the runners to second and third. Morsovillo, with a 3-1 count, laced a single to right center, allowing Shouse and Toosley to score, giving North Central its first lead of the ballgame at 3-1.
Heidelberg answered in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of runs. Meyer, who recorded Heidelberg's first RBI, accrued two more with a single through the right side that scored the runners on second and third.
This closed the book on Schilf, who went 4.2 innings, giving up eight hits and three runs, all of which were earned. She struck out five.
Neither team threatened in the sixth or seventh, sending the ballgame to extras. The Cardinals started the inning with Reese Johnson on second. Lauren Bowmar opened the inning by getting on base via error, and after a popout to the pitcher, Miller barreled a single that loaded the bases with two outs. Kayla Crabtree was called upon as a pinch hitter, and she delivered, authoring a single that scored Johnson and kept the bases loaded. But that one run was all the Cardinals would get, as North Central grounded out on the ensuing batter to end the threat.
Meyer, who was responsible for all three runs for Heidelberg in the contest, was placed at second to start the inning. Ellie Tressler started the rally with a single through the left side, but it was not enough to advance Meyer to third. During the ensuing at-bat, the Berg was pulled off a double steal, its fourth and fifth stolen bags of the contest, to place the winning run 120 feet away. Adyson Bowe tied the game, slicing a single that brought home Meyer. The next batter, Alexis Burton, walked it off for Heidelberg with a groundball through the left side.
Mmiller went 3-4 with a run scored, while Shouse and Morsovillo both collected two hits in their own right. Shouse added an RBI, and Morsovillo plated a pair of runs.
Game Two vs. Curry College
The Cardinals took on the Colonels of Curry College in their second game of the day. The offense came to life, exploding for eight runs in the middle innings before adding an insurance tally in the sixth to win the ballgame 9-3.
Juliana Maude took the mound for North Central. After conceding a lead-off single, Maude retired the next three Colonels in order, finishing the inning with a backwards "K."
Curry (3-7) scored all three of its runs in the top of the second inning. A single by Tara Goldman brought home a run, and an Adrianna Capozzi double to left plated two more, giving the Colonels the early 3-0 lead.
The Cardinals threatened in the second, but stranded two runners after Alyssa Barowski was cut down at the plate while attempting to score on a throwing error in the infield.
After a pair of strikeouts from Maude in the top of the third, the Cardinal bats put up the first of two crooked numbers on the day in the bottom of the frame. Nicole Stone helped to score the first two runs of the game for the North Central (5-7), as she sent a ball out to right field that was mishandled by Curry, allowing Shouse to score from third and Vlach to score from second, cutting the deficit to one.
Crabtree evened the contest one batter later, grounding out to second base, which brought Tatum Yokley in from third. After a groundout for the second out of the inning, Kayla Lindberg hammered a double to the left-center gap, scoring Stone. Sydney Nenhouse added one on for good measure, singling to right, allowing Lindberg to score. Of the five runs the Cardinals scored in the inning, four were unearned.
Schilf, who started on the mound for the Cardinals in the opener against Heidelberg, took to the circle for the second time of the day in the top of the fourth. She mowed down the Curry lineup for the next four innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five without giving up any free bases via the walk or hit-by-pitch. She was credited with the win to improve to 2-2 on the campaign.
Coach Venus Taylor's squad added on three more in the fourth. Shouse and Vlach began the inning with singles, and Morsovillo brought Shouse home (her third RBI on the day) to extend the lead to 6-3. A walk loaded the bases a few batters later with one out for Johnson. She took a rip at a pitch and hooked it down the line to bring Stone and Morsovillo home while extending the advantage to 8-3.
Curry threatened in the top of the sixth with a runner on second and nobody out, but Shilf coaxed a groundout and a pair of swinging strikeouts to get out of the jam unscathed. Vianca Juarez added one last bit of insurance for the Cardinals in the bottom of the sixth, bringing home Abby LaPlant with a single to center, giving North Central a 9-3 lead.
Schilf retired the Colonels in order in the top of the seventh to secure the win. Morsovillo finished the contest 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Lindberg was a picture-perfect 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Shouse contributed a couple of knocks, going 2-5 at the dish and scoring twice.
North Central finishes its Florida trip tomorrow with one last doubleheader at Hancock Park, taking on Augsburg University at 10 a.m. ET and Ripon College at 12:30 p.m. ET.
