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

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (April 23, 2026)- Behind a big day from Sam Schilf and timely offense by the Cardinals, the North Central College softball team swept the Lake Forest Foresters in a nonconference Thursday afternoon doubleheader at Shanower Family Field. The Cardinals took game one by a score of 6-2 and game two 5-4. 

The Cardinals trailed 2-0 after two innings in game one after starter Juliana Maude let up back-to-back doubles in the first inning to fall behind 1-0 and a leadoff walk, which was doubled home in the second inning. Maude was pulled for Schilf and ended the rally. North Central got a run back in the bottom of the third inning, putting runners on first and second with a pair of walks by Sydney Nienhouse and Bailey Miller. Gracie Vlach loaded the bases with a bloop single over first base. Hailey Morsovillo made it a 2-1 ballgame with an RBI single to left field, plating Nienhouse. Schilf kept the Foresters at bay, facing the minimum in the fourth and fifth innings. 

In the bottom half of the fifth inning, North Central's offense put up a crooked number beginning with a leadoff double by Miller into left field. A sacrifice bunt advanced Miller to third and a four-pitch walk drawn by Morsovillo put runners on the corners. Lauren Bowmar tied the game with a single to second base and the Cardinals took a 3-2 lead with an Emma Herder single to right field. Carley Creeth drove in two runs on a single to right field, scoring Bowmar and Herder, who went from first to home after an error in right field. 

With a 5-2 lead in the sixth inning, Schilf worked out of a jam with runners on first and third and ended the inning with a strikeout swinging. North Central added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Gwen Shouse singled and stole second to get into scoring position. A fielding error at first allowed Vlach to reach safely and Shouse hustled home from second to take a 6-2 advantage. Schilf closed the door on game one in the seventh, retiring the side after a single to begin the frame. 

Morsovillo had a two-hit game, and four different Cardinals drove in a runner. Schilf picked up win number seven in game one, pitching six innings and striking out four batters while not surrendering a run. 

Lake Forest struck first in game two as well in the top of the second with an RBI single to left field, scoring a runner from second. The Cardinals didn't trail for long, tying the game 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Creeth drew a walk and advanced to second on a bunt. With two outs, Miller put a ball in play, which ate up the shortstop, allowing Creeth to score. A two-run frame in the bottom of the third inning gave the Cardinals the lead. Morsovillo started the rally with a single through the left side of the infield and Herder followed. With runners on first and second, Creeth scored Alyssa Barowski, who came in as a pinch runner to take the 2-1 lead. Kayla Crabtree singled to shortstop, allowing Herder to score and giving North Central a 3-1 advantage. Schilf worked a flawless fourth and fifth inning before allowing traffic on the base paths. A walk and single put runners on first and second base. The Foresters doubled to put runners at second and third with nobody out. They made it a 3-2 game off a fielder's choice to Schilf. With runners in scoring position and one out, Schilf shut down the comeback effort with two punch-outs to strand the runners. 

North Central added two runs in the sixth inning with singles by Nienhouse and Shouse, a groundout moved them to second and third. Morsovillo's two-RBI single to center field gave the Cardinals a 5-2 lead. The Foresters' comeback in the seventh came up short after a double and single put Lake Forest in scoring position. Schilf forced a comebacker to herself, keeping the runners from scoring and getting the first out. A second ground ball got the second out of the inning but allowed the runner to score, making it 5-3. A two-out single by the Foresters kept them alive, trailing 5-4, but Schilf ended the game with a groundout to third base. 

Morsovillo reached base safely three times and drove in two runs in game two. Schilf pitched a complete game and earned her eighth win of the season, striking out seven batters and giving up three runs. 

The Cardinals return to conference action on Saturday, April 25, hosting Millikin University for senior day. The first pitch from Shanower Family Field is set for 1 p.m.