WATERTOWN, Wis.-- After a narrow defeat in game one North Central softball rebounded to win game two, earning their first victory of the season. The Rams dropped game one 14-13 in eight innings before defeating Maranatha Baptist University 14-10 in the second match-up.

North Central (1-15, 0-6 UMAC) came up on the short end of a back and forth game one. The Rams trailed 3-1 after an inning but rebounded with a run in the second and five more in the third to lead 7-5 afte three frames. North Central added a run in the fourth to briefly extend their lead but Maranatha tagged NCU for four runs in the sixth. 

North Central responded in the top of the seventh to retake the lead. Sophomore Samantha Bergum (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake) led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice ground out. Freshman Hannah Pfadt (Eastern Shore, Mary./Chestertown Christian Academy) singled but was thrown out at second trying to get an extra base but the throw allowed Bergum to score.

Sophomore Kylee Bommersbach (Sartell, Minn./Sartell) then singled and stole second before sophomore Amanda Roth (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) reached with a walk. Sophomore Abbey Erzberger (Miwaukee, Wis./Christian Heritage) fired a two out single to load the bases. A passed ball then allowed both Bommersbach and Roth to score and gave the Rams a 13-10 lead.

Maranatha responded by tying the game up in the bottom of the seventh and send the game into extra innings. North Central managed to load the bases in the top of the eighth but could not get a run across. The Sabercats made North Central pay by scoring an unearned run to take the game.

Amanda Roth was 3-4 with two doubles, four runs scored and an RBI. Abbey Erzberger was 4-5 with 2 RBI. Kylee Bommersback was 2-5 with a pair of stolen bases.

After a tough loss the Rams rebounded well and took a 2-0 lead after one inning in game two but the Sabercats led 5-3 through three full frames. North Central then responded with a big fourth inning to take control.

The Rams got their two-out rally started with a single from freshman Johanna Hazeltine (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake). Kylee Bommersbach was hit by a pitch and Amanda Roth rocked a triple that drove in both base runners. Abbey Erzberger then singled to score Roth. Junior Holly Pieper (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) then singled and Erzberger scored from first which also allowed Pieper two more bases. After freshman Nora Sullivan (Naperville, Ill/Matea Valley) walked, Pieper scored on a passed ball to complete the scoring, giving the Rams an 8-5 lead. 

Maranatha got two back in the fifth to get within 8-7 but North Central responded with another big inning in the sixth. Kylee Bommersback led off with a single and Abbey Erzberger drew a one out walk. Holly Pieper also drew a walk to load the bases for Nora Sullivan to singled to drive in Bommbersbach. A wild pitch plated Erzberger and gave NCU runners at second and third with one out. Samantha Bergum drew a two out walk to reload the bases and freshman Maddie Parrow () then singled to score Pieper. Another wild pitch scored Sullivan and moved others up one base. Johanna Hazeltine drew a walk and Bommbersbach reached safely on an error in her second plate appearance of the inning that allowed a fifth run to score and NCU led 13-7. Maranatha got three back in the bottom of the inning to get within 13-10.

North Central got one more insurance run in the top of the seventh when Abbey Erzberger led off with a double and Nora Sullivan fired a one out, RBI triple. On defense the Rams worked around an error that allowed a base runner and closed out their first win of the season.

Amanda Roth was 2-5 with a double, a triple, two RBI and a stolen base while also going all seven innings in the circle, striking out five. Abbey Erzberger was 3-3 with two doubles and two RBI. Nora Sullivan was 3-4 with a double, 2 RBI and a walk.

North Central was scheduled for a double-header on Friday at Mount Mary College but that has been postponed. The next game up for NCU is a UMAC double-header at the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, Minn.) on Tuesday at 3 p.m.