Contact: Sam Fretto, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu. Story written by Rachel Balinao, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, rabalinao@noctrl.edu.

CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 14, 2026) - Moving to 6-8 on the 2026 season, the North Central College softball team split its final doubleheader of spring break for the third consecutive day on Saturday, beating Augsburg University 7-0 before falling to Ripon College 4-2 in the early afternoon.

Game One vs. Augsburg

Opening the game, Gwen Shouse reached base on a walk and stole second to kick things off. With runners in scoring position, Hailey Morsovillo delivered her first RBI with a fly ball to right field, driving home Shouse and Gracie Vlach to put North Central ahead 2-0. 

The Cardinals' pitchers struck out two more Hawks in the second inning, keeping the opposition off balance. North Central responded at the plate with a flurry of singles from Carley Creeth, Charlotte Toosley, Shouse, and Vlach plating Creeth to extend the lead to 3-0.

In the third, North Central's defense stayed sharp, turning a double play from the circle to first base. Later in the bottom of the inning, Lauren Bowmar crushed a solo home run to left field, giving the Cardinals a 4-0 edge. 

After a scoreless fourth and fifth, the Cardinals erupted in the sixth inning. With Alyssa Barowski on base, Tatum Yokley singled to center, followed by a double from Abby LaPlant that brought Barowski home. Sophia Patterson capped the frame with a two-run single, sealing the final 7-0 margin. The Cardinals pitching staff closed the game with two K's and Augsburg lines out to Shouse to secure the 7-0 win. 

Hailey Morosovillo went 1-for-2 and Sophia Patterson both recorded two RBI's today while Gracie Vlach went 2-for-3 with her at bats. Over seven innings, the North Central pitching staff only allowed two hits all game with none after the first inning. North Central closed out the game with two more strikeouts and a line out to Shouse. 

Morosovillo went 1-for-2 with an RBI, Patterson recorded two RBIs, and Vlach finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Over seven innings, the North Central pitching staff allowed only two hits, none after the first inning, highlighting a complete team effort.

Game Two vs. Ripon

North Central opened the second game of the day against Ripon College looking to carry momentum into the finale of its spring break trip. Despite early offense from the Cardinals, Ripon capitalized in the middle innings to hand North Central a 4-2 defeat.

The Cardinals struck first in the top of the first inning with Gwen Shouse leading off the game with a single up the middle before Gracie Vlach followed with a base hit of her own, advancing to second on a Ripon error. Hailey Morosvillo brought home the game's first run with a groundout to score Shouse, giving North Central a 1-0 advantage. 

In the circle for the Cardinals, Sam Schilf, worked around a single in the bottom half of the inning and closed the frame with a strikeout to preserve the early lead. 

North Central mounted another rally in the second but left the runner stranded, and Ripon pitcher Peyton Vandeloo struck out the side in the third to keep the deficit at one. The Red Hawks capitalized in the bottom of the third, tying the game at 1-1 with an RBI double to left field. Ripon added another run later in the inning with a single to right, taking a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth.  

The Cardinals were unable to answer in the top of the fourth, stranding a lone runner, while Ripon extended its advantage in the bottom half of the inning with another RBI double to push the lead to 3-1. 

North Central attempted to put runners in scoring position in the fifth as Sydney Nienhouse and Shouse each reached the base with singles, but the Cardinals could not convert the opportunity, leaving both runners aboard. Ripon responded in the bottom of the inning, drawing a walk before doubling up the middle to extend the lead to 4-1. 

The Cardinals broke through in the sixth inning with Kayla Crabtree opening the frame with a single through the left side, and Lauren Bowmar followed with a double to left field to put two runners in scoring position. Carley Creeth delivered an RBI single to bring Crabtree home and cut the deficit to 4-2, though North Central would leave two runners stranded to end the threat.

Looking for a final push in the seventh, the Cardinals were unable to add on as Ripon closed out the contest, securing the 4-2 victory. 

Vlach led the Cardinals with three hits, while Crabtree and Nienhouse each added two. Creeth drove in North Central's final run of the game, and Schilf struck out four over six innings in the circle.

North Central returns to Naperville, Ill., to begin College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play against Illinois Wesleyan University at Shanower Family Field on Apr. 1 at 3 p.m.

THE STORY WILL BE UPDATED AS STATS BECOME AVAILABLE.