MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- Softball rallied in game one and rebounded in game two to complete a double-header sweep of Maranatha Baptist University on Monday afternoon at East Phillips Park. After falling behind early in game one, North Central rallied to win 7-5 before taking a big lead in game two and pulling away in a 15-8 victory.

North Central (4-24, 1-20 UMAC) fell behind 4-1 in the first inning of game one and still trailed by that differential after three full innings. However, the Rams posted a pair of runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning to take the win. In the fourth, freshman Abbey Erzberger (Brookfield, Wis./Heritage Christian) singled up the middle to drive in a pair of runs and got the Rams within 4-3.

In the fifth, freshman Samantha Bergum (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake) singled to right to drive in a run and a ground out from sophomore Amanda Johnson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley) plated another run. North Central led 5-4 after five but Maranatha would get one back in the sixth and it would be tied 5-5 through 5.5 innings.

The Rams would get a big response from the heart of their order when junior Megan Myers (Cannon Falls, Minn./Randolf) pounded an RBI double to left and freshman Amanda Roth (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) followed up with an RBI double of her own to give the Rams a 7-5 lead heading into the final inning. Roth then worked around a two-out single to complete the victory in the pitching circle.

Amanda Roth was 2-3 at the plate and struckout five in the circle while scattering three earned runs over 9 hits. Abbey Erzberger was 2-4 with 2 RBI and a stolen base in the win.

Game two started with the Rams jumping out to a 9-0 lead through four innings and it looked like NCU might earn a run-rule victory. Freshman Kylee Bommersback (Sartell, Minn./Sartell) recorded an RBI walk with the bases loaded in the first but that would be the only run for either team over the first two innings. North Central then began stretching their lead in the bottom of the third.

Kylee Bommersbach posted an RBI single up the middle that drove in a pair of runs after the first three batter of the frame reached safely for NCU. Then Samantha Bergum walked to reload the bases and with one out a wild pitch plated another run for the Rams. Junior Jamie High (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) then reached on an error that also drove in another run and the Rams led 5-0 through three innings.

The Rams added four more in the fourth. Megan Myers led off the frame by reaching base on a walk and two pitches later Amanda Roth smashed a home run to straight away left field to extend the lead to 7-0. Later on in the inning, with one out Amanda Johnson singled to left allowing another pair of runs to come in and the Rams took a 9-0 lead into the top of the fifth just three outs from a run rule win.

However, MBU responded by posting a huge eight-run rally on five hits to get within 9-8. North Central was able retake momentum in the bottom of the frame with an RBI ground out from Samantha Bergum to establish a 10-8 difference through five innings.

Amanda Roth worked around a one-out single in the sixth and North Central got their offense going again in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded Roth was once again the catalyst at the plate, mashing an RBI double that drove in three runs and reascerted the Rams control of the game. Sophomore Holly Pieper (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) followed up with an RBI double that drove in Roth and the Rams led 14-8. Samantha Bergum drove in the Rams final tally of the game with a high floating pop-fly to shallow center that allowed Pieper to tag and score from third.

Amanda Roth went back out to the circle in the top of the seventh and finished off the win with a pair of strikeouts and an easy pop-up a few feet outside the pitchers area. She finished the game 3-5 with a double, a home run and 5 RBI and struckout four in her second pitching win of the day.

Kylee Bommersbach reached base on all five plate appearances by going 3-3 with 2 walks, 3 RBI and 3 stolen bases. Holly Pieper was 2-2 with 2 walks and 2 stolen bases.

North Central and Maranatha will meet again on Wednesday in a double header at East Phillips Park. The action is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.