MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- Following a couple of tough losses earlier in the week North Central University Softball bounced back to play a pair of their best games of the year. The Rams were swept by Northwestern College and Bethany Lutheran College on Tuesday and Friday respectively before nearly turning the tables on Martin Luther College on Saturday night. NCU took game one 12-3 and nearly rallied from a five run deficit in a 9-7 loss to the Knights in game two.

Last Tuesday North Central (5-14, 3-10) gave up an endless stream of runs in a pair of losses to Northwestern College (St. Paul, Minn.). The 18-2 and 16-1 losses to the Eagles at Reynolds Field were the third most runs surrendered in a double header in Rams history. NCU committed a combined 13 errors in those loses and looked to recover in Friday's double header versus Bethany Lutheran College (Mankato, Minn.).

Despite committing just one error in the pair of games versus Bethany Lutheran NCU was the victim of several close calls going the other way that resulted in big innings for the Vikings. In an 8-0 loss in game one the Rams allowed seven runs in the third inning and that was all BLC needed for the win. In game two the Rams posted a painful repeat performance by once again allowing seven runs, this time in the second frame in a 10-2 loss. 

Saturday night NCU took to the field at Plymouth Creek Dome looking to make put together clean fielding and solid hitting and break out of their four game losing skid. In game one the Rams got the bats going to pound out 11 hits and drive in 12 runs to take a 12-3, six inning victory over Martin Luther College (New Ulm, Minn.).

Freshman Megan Myers (Cannon Falls, Minn./Randolf) was a hero at the plate going 2-4 with a pair of home runs. Her final at bat was grand slam that clinched the NCU victory in the bottom of the sixth inning. She also had a three-run shot that opened the scoring in the first inning.

Seniors Elisabeth Trickey (Waseca, Minn./Waseca) and Bethany Bostron (Spicer, Minn./Bostron Academy) were each 2-4 with an RBI. Sophomore Keshia Carpentier (Coon Rapids, Minn./Anoka-Ramsey CC) was 2-3 with an RBI. Bostron earned the victory in the circle, going all six innings and scattering three earned runs over eight hits.

Game two saw the Rams continue their trend of falling behind early on in conference games by giving up a five spot in the first MLC at-bat and that would prove an insurmountable lead in a 9-7 loss. NCU did rally back on the strength of four extra base hits including a pair of big home runs that nearly willed the Rams to a victory.

NCU got to within 8-2 on a solo home run from freshman Rachel Thearin (Hayward, Wis./Hayward) in the bottom of the fourth and then senior Hannah Gordon (Boise, Idaho/Centennial) then blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth that got NCU to within 8-5.

Martin Luther got another run in the sixth before NCU got to within 9-7 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the same inning. Keshia Carpentier smacked an RBI to center field and eventually scored when sophomore Sonya Beichley (Gladbrook, Iowa/Reinbeck-Gladbrook) reached on an error. 

After NCU got the Knights to go down in order in the top of the seventh it seemed that the Rams might have the momentum for a final at-bat victory but Martin Luther was able to hold on for the win. 

North Central is scheduled to play in a split double-header tomorrow at the Irish Sports Dome in Rosemount, Minnesota. The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference usually plays a pair of split double headers each year and this time North Central will take on Northland College (Ashland, Wis.) at 9:30 a.m. before battling The College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, Minn.) at 11:30 am.