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

WAUKESHA, Wis. (April 21, 2026)- Backed by early offense, scoring in the first innings of both victories, the North Central College softball team swept the Carroll University Pioneers in a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) doubleheader at Kilgour Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals downed the Pioneers 5-1 in game one and 8-0 in game two in a six-inning finish.

The Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead after Gracie Vlach singled to left field with one out and swiped second base to get into scoring position. Hailey Morsovillo drove in her 15th run of the season after a muffed fielding attempt by the Pioneers plated Vlach. Alyssa Barowski was put in to pinch run for Morsovillo and promptly stole second and a Lauren Bowmar single put Barowski at third. Emma Herder drove Barowski in after a fielder's choice at shortstop saw all runners advance safely, giving North Central a 2-0 first-inning lead. 

The momentum remained on North Central's side when they got back to the plate in the second inning after using a Carroll error to allow Kayla Lindberg to get aboard. Bailey Miller singled to left and Gwen Shouse legged out an infield single to third, loading the bases. With Vlach up, Lindberg scored off an error by the shortstop to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. Morsovillo widened the gap to 5-0 with a two-RBI single to left field, scoring Miller and Shouse. Juliana Maude got the start in the opening game of the doubleheader and got through three scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fourth inning. 

Letting up three straight hits, including a double, allowed the Pioneers to make it a 5-1 game. Maude bounced back, inducing a flyout and a groundout to first, which saw a runner try to advance home but get gunned down before scoring for the third out. Maude continued to power through the Pioneers' lineup, facing the minimum in the fifth and working around a two-out single to get to the seventh. There she had a 1-2-3 inning to end the game with a 5-1 victory. 

Maude picked up her sixth win of the season, pitching a complete game, giving up just one run and striking out five. The outing lowered her season ERA to 2.53 and her conference ERA to 1.44. Morsovillo drove in three runs, capitalizing with runners in scoring position early to give the Cardinals momentum.

The offense continued rolling in game two, striking in the first inning again. The Cardinals used their speed in the early going as Shouse and Vlach both reached on infield singles. After a flyout moved Shouse to third, Vlach stole second to put runners on second and third with one out. Bowmar grounded out to shortstop, driving in Shouse and Kayla Crabtree drove in Vlach with a single to center field to jump ahead 2-0. 

Starting pitcher Sam Schilf took the lead and dominated in the circle, with a perfect bottom of the first inning. The Pioneers threatened in the second inning, with a pair of two-out singles, but stranded them on base. North Central had a chance to extend the lead in the third inning with runners on first and second after Vlach reached via an error and stole her second bag of the game, but the Cardinals stranded the runners. Schilf let up a two-out single but got out of the third unscathed to set the stage for the offense in the fourth. 

A trio of singles by Sydney Nienhouse, Miller and Charlotte Toosley loaded the bases with nobody out. The Cardinals went station to station as Vlach singled home Nienhouse to make it a 3-0 lead. Morsovillo knocked in Miller and Toosley with a base hit to left field to go ahead 5-0. Crabtree put the exclamation point on the five-run frame with a single to left field, driving in Vlach and Morsovillo. 
Meanwhile, Schilf, yet to give up a run, retired the side in the fourth and fifth innings. The Cardinals took an 8-0 lead, putting the game in territory for an early conclusion. Tatum Yokley, pinch-hitting for Vlach, drew a full-count walk and stole second. A single from Nicole Stone, who entered for Morsovillo, advanced Yokley to third, but she was cut down at home trying to score. Crabtree was hit by a pitch and moved Stone to scoring position, and Abby LaPlant singled home Stone. 

With a chance to end the game in six innings, the Pioneers loaded the bases with back-to-back singles and a fielding error. Schilf bunkered down as she induced two ground balls and threw home to prevent runs from scoring. With two out in the inning, a groundball to shortstop ended the game in six innings with an 8-0 final. 

Crabtree led the way offensively in game two with a 2-for-3 contest with 3 runs batted in. Morsovillo added a base hit, a walk and two RBIs. Schilf earned her sixth win of the season, tossing her second complete game shutout in seven days. She lowered her season ERA to 2.02 and her conference ERA to 0.88.

The Cardinals have a halt in CCIW competition for a nonconference doubleheader at home against Lake Forest College on Thursday, April 23, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.