Contact: Sam Fretto, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (April 8, 2026)- Originally scheduled to play on Tuesday, April 7, the North Central College softball team hosted a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) doubleheader against the Elmhurst University Bluejays at Shanower Family Field on Wednesday afternoon. The Cardinals split the doubleheader, snapping its five-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory in game one but fell 2-1 in game two.
Continuing her strong start in conference play, Juliana Maude worked around a first-inning base hit and a second-inning jam that saw Elmhurst put runners on second and third. Maude struck out the batter to end the second inning. In the third inning, Maude retired the side in order with a pair of punchouts to finish the frame. The Cardinals' offense came alive in the bottom of the third inning with a three-spot. Gracie Vlach and Kayla Crabtree both reached base via fielding errors by Elmhurst. With Vlach on third, a wild pitch allowed her to score while Crabtree moved to scoring position. Lauren Bowmar plated Reese Johnson, who came in as a pinch runner for Crabtree, with a warning track double to center field that one-hopped off the wall, to give North Central a 2-0 lead. Carley Creeth continued the rally with a single to center field, scoring Bowmar for a 3-0 advantage.
After retiring the first two batters of the fourth inning, Maude faced the bases loaded, surrendering three consecutive singles. Battling a pinch hitter, Maude forced a ground ball to Vlach, who took the force at second base, keeping the Bluejays off the board. The Cardinals tacked on an insurance run as Bailey Miller and Sydney Nienhouse led the inning off with a pair of singles. With one out in the inning, Vlach scored Miller on an RBI single to right center field. Maude responded with a clean fifth and sixth inning, setting the stage for the Cardinals to take a 5-0 lead. The Cardinals loaded the bases behind a single from Gwen Shouse, a walk by Vlach and a single by Hailey Morsovillo. With one out, Bowmar recorded her second RBI with a flyball to shallow right field, caught by second base, allowing Shouse to tag up and score. Elmhurst managed to score two runs in the seventh inning, but the comeback effort fell short as Maude forced a ground ball fielder's choice to the shortstop to conclude game one.
North Central scored five runs on 10 hits in game one, as Shouse and Creeth each had a pair of base hits. Bowmar's two RBIs were a team high. Maude earned her fourth win of the season, striking out eight batters in seven innings pitched while giving up two runs.
In game two, Elmhurst jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning. A leadoff single and a fielder's choice to third base saw all runners reach safely at first and second base. A grounder to Vlach at second, allowing her to cut the lead runner down for the first out of the inning. Vlach made a diving play on a grounder to keep the ball in the infield but committed a throwing error, allowing the runner to advance from second to home for the first run of the game. Sam Schilf worked past the traffic and struck out the next two batters to end the Elmhurst threat.
Both sides couldn't get much going offensively until North Central started a rally in the third. Kayla Lindberg singled to center field and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Shouse drew a walk and with two outs, Vlach singled on a roller to shortstop to load the bases. The Bluejays got out of the jam as a liner to right field was caught for the third out.
North Central tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. An error at third base allowed Emma Herder to reach safely, which set Nienhouse up to enter as a pinch runner. A sacrifice bunt moved Nienhouse to second base and Miller singled up the first base line to score Nienhouse to tie the game 1-1. Maude entered the game to pitch in the sixth inning and threw a perfect inning. Ultimately the Bluejays took the 2-1 lead in the seventh inning, scoring what would be the game-winning run with an RBI single to center field to score a runner from second base.
The Cardinals scored one run on six hits as a team, while Vlach had a 3-for-4 game two. Miller drove in the lone RBI in the fifth inning. Schilf got a no decision in the start, pitching five innings, striking out five and giving up an unearned run. Maude got the decision for game two, taking a loss, giving up one run in two innings pitched.
Softball's (7-13, 1-5 CCIW) homestand continues as they host Wheaton College for a CCIW doubleheader on Tuesday, April 14, from Shanower Family Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 4 p.m.
