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

CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 8, 2026)- In Florida for THE Spring Games, the North Central College softball team earned its first victory of 2026, splitting their first day of competition. The Cardinals dropped game one to Rhode Island College, 4-3, but bounced back with a 7-3 victory over Skidmore College, scoring in five of the seven frames at Hancock Field on Sunday afternoon.

The Cardinals trailed early against Rhode Island College after a leadoff triple and an RBI single surrendered by starting pitcher Juliana Maude. After back-to-back hits given up, Maude retired the next three batters. North Central threatened in the bottom of the first with runners on first and second with one out but stranded runners on second and third. Rhode Island College opened up a 3-0 lead with a single, an RBI double, and an RBI single, knocking Maude out of the game. Sam Schilf entered the game and worked out of the jam, leaving the second inning, trailing by three. 

Rhode Island College added another run in the top of the third after a bases-loaded RBI groundout. In the bottom half of the frame, the Cardinals put a crooked number up to attempt the comeback. With runners on the corners, Nicole Stone singled into center field, scoring Gwen Shouse. Hailey Morsovillo kept the rally alive with a single of her own to score Gracie Vlach, making it a 4-2 game. Kayla Lindberg came in to pinch run for Morsovillo and scored on a passed ball, cutting the lead to 4-3. 

In both the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, the Cardinals got a leadoff double, advanced the runner to third, and stranded them there. Then in the sixth, North Central threatened to tie the game with Lauren Bowmar on third after a one-out single, but the Cardinals failed to bring her home.

North Central scored three runs on nine hits in game one, with Vlach, Stone, and Bowmar each having two-hit performances. Maude suffered the loss, going 1.1 innings pitched, surrendering three runs on five hits while striking out one. Schilf finished the game going the remaining 5.2 innings and striking out three while giving up zero earned runs. 

In game two, three hits in the top of the first inning got the rally going for the Cardinals as Vlach hit a single to the shortstop and Stone singled to center field to get runners on first and second with one out. Morsovillo picked up the RBI with a single up the middle, scoring Vlach from second base to give North Central the early 1-0 lead.

Schilf got the start but ran into early trouble after Skidmore led off with an infield single and stole second base. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner over to third, and another infield single drove in the equalizing run to make it 1-1. 

North Central retook the lead in the top of the second after Bailey Miller led off with a single and swiped second base. Miller advanced to third after a pair of groundouts, and with two outs, Shouse drove Miller home on an RBI infield single for the 2-1 advantage. In the third inning, a four-pitch walk induced by Kayla Crabtree and a Bowmar RBI double down the left field line put the Cardinals up 3-1. Schilf bounced back in the bottom of the frames, retiring six straight batters, including two strikeouts. 

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the fourth inning with one out and scored in a fourth straight inning as Morsovillo tallied her second RBI of the contest, drawing a walk and widening the gap to 4-1. Schilf returned to the circle in the bottom of the fourth but got into a bases-loaded jam with two outs. Maude came in to relieve Schilf after she hit the batter, putting Skidmore back on the board in a 4-2 ballgame. With a full count, Maude struck the batter out looking to end the threat. 

Skidmore brought the game to within one in the fifth inning after a throwing error by the Cardinals allowed a runner to score. Maude finished out the inning with a 4-3 lead, and North Central scored three insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning. Shouse opened the inning with a single in center field and stole second base. After a groundout moved her to third, Stone doubled Shouse home, giving the Cardinals a 5-3 cushion. Alyssa Barowski came in as a pinch runner for Stone and scored off an RBI single by Abby LaPlant, extending the lead to 6-3. Bowmar hit her second double of the game to plate LaPlant, putting the game out of reach at 7-3. 

The Cardinals' seven runs were scored on 16 hits as Bowmar, Shouse, and Vlach each recorded three-hit games, while Bowmar netted two RBIs. As a team, the Cardinals stole three bags and hit three extra-base hits. Schilf went 3.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out two. Maude came out in relief and picked up the win, pitching the final 3.1 innings, giving up an unearned run on three strikeouts. 

North Central returns to action tomorrow, continuing competition in THE Spring Games with a game against Buena Vista University with a 1:30 p.m. (ET) first pitch and Utica University with a 3:45 p.m. (ET) first pitch.