ELMHURST 8, NORTH CENTRAL 0 (Game One) – Elmhurst hammered North Central 8-0 in a game shortened to five innings due to the eight-run mercy rule.

 

The Bluejays banged out 11 hits against the Cardinals en route to the victory.

 

After scoring a run in the first inning on an Amanda Bowlin ground out, the Bluejays broke the game open in the third inning by plating five runs.

 

Bowlin drove in the first run in the third on a squeeze play. Julie Devine followed with an RBI single to give Elmhurst a 3-0 lead. With two down and runners at second and third, the Bluejays used four straight singles to take a 6-0 lead.

 

Elmhurst tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth when Jill Karsa drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run, Michele Fournier drove in a run on a groundout.

 

Becca Zumpf finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs scored to lead the Bluejays. Maureen Roderick also collected a pair of hits and scored a run while Fournier and Bowlin drove in two runs apiece.

 

Lindsay Nauman (6-2) earned the shutout victory for the Bluejays, tossing a complete game. She scattered three hits and six walks while striking out three.

 

North Central stranded nine runners in the game.

 

NORTH CENTRAL 4, ELMHURST 2 (Game Two) – North Central earned the doubleheader split by knocking off Elmhurst 4-2 in game two.

 

North Central (10-6, 3-1 CCIW) jumped out to a 3-0 lead after scoring three times in the first inning. Laura Whitfield singled home a pair of runs and Kara Reid added an RBI single to account for the Cardinals' scoring.

 

Elmhurst chipped away at the Cardinals' lead scoring a run in the third on a Devine RBI single, and a run in the fourth on a North Central error.

 

North Central pushed its lead back to two on a RBI by Katie Pappa in the bottom of the fourth.

 

North Central's Holly Roadruck kept the Bluejays at bay for the remainder of the game. Roadruck sat down nine straight Elmhurst batters from the fourth inning through the seventh inning, until Melissa McCarthy roped a two-out single in the seventh. Roadruck (4-3) earned the win for the Cardinals, allowing just eight hits and one earned run through seven innings. She struck out two while not issuing a walk.

 

Amber Schwarzinger took the loss for the Bluejays. Schwarzinger (3-2) allowed four hits and three runs in 1.1 innings of work. Vanessa Kalal allowed just one run and four hits in 4.2 innings of relief.

 

Elmhurst hosts Benedictine University on Thursday, April 9, at 3:00 p.m.