MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- The North Central University (NCU) softball team opened up their 2021 season today with a double-header against the Maranatha Baptist University (MBU) Sabercats on Friday afternoon. Despite the snow earlier in the week, the weather cooperated for the Rams to give them a sunshine-filled first game that showcased several Rams making their collegiate debute. Faced with a deficit early on, NCU softball came alive in the latter half of the game to come up just short by a final score of 9-10. 

Game Recap

The Sabercats came out swinging, holding NCU scoreless in the first four innings and earning five runs of their own. However, the fifth inning is when the Rams countered MBU's offensive surge. Lily Adams (White Bear Lake, MN, White Bear Lake Area High School) got up to bat and singled to right field with three Rams on base, collecting several timely RBI's. After an error by the Sabercats, Adams made her way, sending three NCU runners home. In the sixth inning, Megan Paulson (North Liberty, IA, Iowa City West High School) singled to the outfield, bringing in another three Rams across home plate for a total of four runs in the inning to tie the score at 7-7. 

Maranatha Baptist managed to get three more across the plate in the seventh to bring their total runs to 10. At the bottom of the seventh, North Central had a chance to rally and have the final say in their opening competition with MBU. In the seventh inning, several NCU batters found their way on base via walks, resulting in a possible seventh inning comeback. Down the stretch in the bottom half of the inning, NCU fell short by one run and was narrowly edged by a final score of 9-10. For the Rams, Catherine SanMiguel (San Antonio, TX, Kaiserslautern High School) went the distance and pitched all seven action-packed innings. Taking the mound for her first collegiate appearance, SanMiguel recorded eight strikeouts.

In the second game of tonight's double header against Maranatha Baptist University, the game was cut short due to darkness. Before running out of daylight, the Rams scored 15 runs to the Sabercats' 9 in just three innnings. With the first hit of tonight's second game, Lindsey DeJong (St. Charles, MO, St. Charles High School) found some real estate in the outfield, earning her a triple that pushed two Rams across the plate. The Sabercats responded with four runs of their own in the next inning, while holding North Central batters silent in the second. In the third inning, Maranatha brought in four more, but allowed the Rams to tally 10 total runs in an offensive explosion for the women in blue and gold. Adams recorded three RBI's in the three innings of play before the game was called due to darkness. At the end of three innings, NCU was up 15-9. The remainder of the game will resume tomorrow afternoon along with the now scheduled five-inning double-header against the Sabercats.

Key Performers

• Pitching in both games today, Catherine SanMiguel had eight strikeouts to help out the Rams' defensive efforts.
• Freshman Lily Adams had her first hit of the season while collecting four vital RBI's.
• Senior Megan Paulson also helped out the Rams by bringing in another three RBI's.

Looking Ahead

The Rams have a fast turnaround as they face the Sabercats again tomorrow in another double-header while also finishing the completion of tonight's second game. NCU has the home field advantage again, with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. and the second game set to start at 2 p.m. Stay tuned to our official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages for any schedule updates. Also, fans are encouraged to click here to follow the game through the live stats or watch the live stream at ncurams.com/watch.