ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst softball team dropped both ends of a CCIW doubleheader to North Central College. The Bluejays came up short 8-5 in 10 innings in game one before falling 7-3 in game two.
 
Elmhurst fell to 7-14 overall and 1-5 in the CCIW while North Central upped its record to 18-6 overall and 4-0 in league play.
 
NORTH CENTRAL 8, ELMHURST 5 (Game One) – Elmhurst came up short in an 8-5 loss in ten innings.
 
North Central jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two run in the first inning but Elmhurst answered back with a run in the first on a Jackie Orel RBI single. The Bluejays tied the game in the second on a Riley Schweig RBI single. Elmhurst moved in front in the third on Rebekah Ondracek's RBI double. Ondracek later scored on a wild pitch to put Elmhurst up 4-2.
 
The Bluejays' lead was short lived as NCC scored twice in the fourth and added a run in the fifth to move in front 5-4. Elmhurst pulled even in the bottom of the sixth on Val Perrelli's RBI single and the game moved to extra innings tied at 5-5.
 
North Central loaded the bases with one out in the tenth. Emily Miller hit a grounder back to the mound. Sydni Gizynski fired home for an out but Ondracek was slid into by a Cardinal runner as she threw to first. The throw sailed high allowing three runs to come home for the Cardinals.
 
Elmhurst loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning, but a strikeout and popup ended Elmhurst's chances.
 
Mia Tran led the Bluejays at the plate with three hits while Orel and Ressinger totaled two hits apiece.
 
Gizynski suffered the loss after pitching all 10 innings and allowing 15 hits and four earned runs. She walked five and struck out five. Breanna Adams earned the win in relief for the Cardinals, pitching 7.1 innings and allowing six hits and one run.
 
NORTH CENTRAL 7, ELMHURST 3 (Game Two) – Elmhurst jumped out to an early lead but the Racehle Belletini cracked a pair of three-run home runs to lead North Central to a 7-3 win in game two.
 
Elmhurst grabbed a quick 3-0 lead in the first, scoring two runs on an Alyssa Ressinger double with one out. North Central answered bac in the second, scoring a run on an Emily Miller double before Rachele Belletini cracked a three-run homer to left to put the Cardinals in front 4-3.
 
Belletini delivered again in the fourth, smashing her second three-run homer of the day, extending North Central's lead to 7-3. The game was called after five innings due to darkness.
 
Mia Tran led Elmhurst at the plate with two hits while Ressinger drove in two runs.
 
Bailee Krantz made the start and took the loss, working four innings and allowing seven hits and seven runs (four earned). She walked one and struck out two. Gianna Corban earned the win for the Cardinals, tossing five innings and allowing five hits and three runs.
 
Elmhurst hosts Carroll University on Saturday, April 13.