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

KENOSHA, Wis. (April 16, 2026)- In the midst of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) schedule, the North Central College softball team traveled to Kenosha, Wis., for a midweek doubleheader against Carthage College. The teams split the twin bill at Wiers Family Field, with the Firebirds taking game one, 3-1, and the Cardinals bouncing back in game two with a 4-1 victory.

The Cardinals trailed early in the game, falling into a 2-0 deficit after the first inning. A bunt single and a hit by pitch put the Firebirds in scoring position with runners on second and third. A two-RBI single through the middle of the infield scored the runners before Juliana Maude settled in and finished the inning with a strikeout. Carthage threatened to score again in the bottom of the second, loading the bases, but she got out of the jam, recording a punch-out and a pop-up to shortstop. 

Both sides traded scoreless frames in the third and fourth innings, but the Firebirds tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt moved the runner from first to third, and a line drive single to right field drove the run in to give Carthage a 3-0 lead. North Central attempted to make a comeback in the sixth inning, starting the rally off with a one-out single by Hailey Morsovillo, who was pulled for pinch runner Charlotte Brummel. Emma Herder singled between shortstop and third base, and Carley Creeth plated Brummel with a single down the left field line to put the tying run in scoring position. The rally for the Cardinals ended with one run, making it a 3-1 game.

North Central failed to score again in the 3-1 final, as they scored one run on seven hits and committed one error. Gwen Shouse had a multihit game going 2-for-4. Maude was assessed the loss, pitching six innings, surrendering three runs, but punching out five batters. 

Game two was scoreless through two innings, and the Cardinals put up a three spot in the third inning. With one out in the inning, Shouse and Gracie Vlach singled back-to-back to put runners aboard at first and second. A groundout moved them up one base each, and Lauren Bowmar rifled a two-RBI single up the middle to score Shouse and Vlach, with Bowmar advancing to second on the throw home. Herder followed with a single to shortstop that ricocheted away and scored Bowmar for the Cardinals to take a 3-0 lead. The Firebirds answered with a run in the bottom of the third to chip into the lead. 

After giving up a run in the third, Sam Schilf posted a 1-2-3 fourth inning with strikeouts bookending a flyout to center field. The Cardinals' offense went down in order in the fifth, and Schilf worked around a one-out single. The Firebirds threatened with a two-out double in the sixth inning, but pitching prevailed again, keeping the score at 3-1. A Bailey Miller leadoff double in the top of the seventh inning was the start of a Cardinals' rally. A fielding error allowing Charlotte Toosley to reach moved Miller over to third base, and Kayla Crabtree drove Miller in with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field to put the Cardinals ahead 4-1. Schilf locked down the game in the seventh with two groundouts and a strikeout to pick up the victory over Carthage.

North Central scored four runs on seven hits and committed no errors in the game two win. Six of the nine Cardinals' starters recorded a base hit, including Miller, who had a 2-for-3 showing. Schilf pitched all seven innings and picked up her second win of the week while striking out six Firebirds and giving up one run on five hits. 

North Central (10-14, 4-6 CCIW) returns to Wisconsin on Tuesday, April 21, when they travel to Kilgour Field in Waukesha for a CCIW doubleheader against Carroll University with a 3 p.m. scheduled start time.