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

CHICAGO (April 3, 2026)- Despite a pair of dominant outings by Sam Schilf and Juliana Maude, the North Central College softball team dropped a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) doubleheader to the North Park University Vikings on Friday afternoon. The Cardinals dropped game one by a score of 3-2 and game two in nine innings, 1-0, from the Holmgren Athletic Complex.

The very first batter of the game got into scoring position as Gwen Shouse hit a leadoff double to the right centerfield gap. Gracie Vlach followed with a bunt single, moving Shouse to third. After a groundout moved Vlach to second, Kayla Crabtree plated Shouse with a groundball to first base, who opted to throw home, where Shouse beat the throw to score to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead. 

Schilf, getting the game one start, took the lead and retired 11 of the first 12 batters she faced. After four scoreless innings and four strikeouts, she ran into trouble in the fifth. The Vikings loaded the bases with two out in the fifth after two singles and a fielding error. An RBI single up the third base line by North Park allowed two runners to score and gave the Vikings a 2-0 lead. 

The Cardinals looked to respond in the top of the sixth inning as Hailey Morsovillo drew a leadoff walk and got pulled for pinch runner Allysa Barowski. A sacrifice bunt moved Barowski to scoring position and Bowmar drew a one-out free pass. Ultimately, the scoring threat for the Cardinals ended with a flyout and strikeout looking. The Vikings tacked on an insurance run with a single and stole second base to begin the frame. A one-out RBI single gave the Vikings a 3-1 lead going into the top of the seventh. 

Kayla Lindberg singled to center field with one out in the inning and Vlach kept North Central alive with a base hit to put runners on the corners, as she represented the tying run. Morsovillo singled home Lindberg to cut the Vikings' lead to 3-2, but a flyball to center field ended the comeback. 

North Central scored two runs on five hits and committed two errors in game one and stranded eight runners on the basepaths. Schilf took the loss, despite going 5.1 innings and giving up just one earned run while striking out four and issuing no walks. 

Maude got the game two start and kept the Vikings quiet offensively as she took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Both sides went down in order in the first inning and in the second, North Central got a single by Lauren Bowmar, although she would get stranded. Maude retired the side in the second inning and the Cardinals threatened to score in the top of the third inning. Shouse reached base safely on a fielding error and advanced to second after a muffed throw in left field. Vlach followed with a single through the left side of the infield, advancing Shouse to third, but the threat was negated after an infield popup to end the frame. 

In the circle for the third inning, Maude punched out two Vikings before drawing a walk in the next plate appearance. She worked around it with an inning-ending groundout. In the fourth inning, Bowmar singled again before getting doubled up, ending the inning. In the bottom half of the fourth. Maude induced three ground ball outs. The Vikings went down in order again in the fifth inning and the Cardinals looked to score in the sixth. Crabtree worked a two-out walk and was pulled for pinch runner Barowski. Bowmar singled for a third time in the game, moving Barowski to third but stranding the go-ahead run there. 

Just six outs away from a no-hitter, Maude forced a lineout for the first out but gave up her first hit of the contest on a blooper to center field. She worked around the hit, ending the inning with a strikeout to keep the game scoreless. Pinch hitter Emma Herder led off the seventh with a single to left field but was cut down in a ground ball double play. Maude's seventh inning of work kept the Vikings off the board, sending the game to extra innings in a 0-0 ballgame. 

Despite a leadoff single by Vlach in the eighth inning, the next three Cardinals' hitters were retired. The Vikings fared no better in the bottom of the eighth as Maude set them down 1-2-3. In the ninth inning, the Cardinals failed to reach base and the Vikings drew a one-out walk and a walk-off double, scoring the runner from first base. 

As a team, North Central had seven hits in game two, with Bowmar responsible for three and Vlach for two. The team stranded eight runners on base. Despite the loss, Maude went a season-high 8.2 innings, giving up just two hits and one run while striking out five and walking three. As a pitching staff, the Cardinals pitched 14 innings and gave up just two earned runs. 

North Central (8-12, 0-4 CCIW) returns home for a midweek CCIW doubleheader with the Elmhurst Bluejays on Tuesday, April 7. First pitch from Shanower Family Field is set for 4 p.m.