WATERTOWN, Wis. -- On one of the first days to hit 70 degrees this spring, the North Central University (NCU) softball team traveled to Wisconsin to take on Maranatha Baptist University (MBU) Sabercats in their second series of this season. In their first meeting, the Rams spilt an even 2-2 with the Sabercats, and that pattern seemed to repeat itself today. NCU spilt 1-1 on the afternoon in two high scoring games, the first was an 18-14 victory for the Rams while the second matchup ended up in the Sabercats' favor by a final score of 33-24.
Game One Recap
It was a day full of offense for both teams, but the Rams got the early start in this game. The Rams started the scoring frenzy off with a total of five runs in the top of the first inning. Senior
Emily Loop (Phelan, CA, Serrano High School) managed to poke a double in the gap to start the game.
Selma Carrasco (El Paso, TX, Mountain View High School) also had a well placed double which happened later down the stretch as both teams traded the lead back-and-forth.. Both
Lily Adams (White Bear Lake, MN, White Bear Lake Area High School) and
Lindsey DeJong (St. Charles, MO, St. Charles High School) showcased their speed on the afternoon, swiping multiple bases in the showing.The offense flowed extremely well for the Rams which translated onto the defensive side of the field very nicely, as NCU posted multiple three-up, three-down out innings that allowed the Rams' to continue flourishing at the plate. With several Rams down the lineup contributing multi-hit days, NCU managed to come away with their third victory of the season by taking down the Sabercats 18 to 14.
Game Two Recap
Game two turned into what would be an even greater offensive showing by both sides. In just give innings of action, the Rams and Sabercats collectively scored 57 total runs The first inning showed the Rams and the Sabercats scoring three runs-a-piece. In the bottom of the second, the Sabercats managed to get out in front and bat through the lineup. Despite the early deficit, NCU found a surge late in the fourth inning where they scored 11 runs and five in the fifth, giving them the spark they needed to stay within striking distance. The Sabercats responded well to the Rams' bats by getting runs across their own each time. In game two,
Rachel Loukinen (Little Falls, MN, Little Falls High School) was vital for the Rams' performance at the plate, posting four RBI's and making her way around the bases four seperate times.
Loukinen was closely followed by
DeJong, who had three RBI's and three runs.
Key Performers
- Megan Paulson (North Liberty, IA, Iowa City West High School) had a great afternoon at the plate for the Rams. Between the two games, she scored four runs and batted in six RBI's.
- In similar fashion, Lily Adams had her best game of the season by tallying four runs, five RBI's and five hits for NCU.
- Catherine SanMiguel (San Antonio, TX, Kaiserslautern High School) took the mound for the Rams each game and pitched seven strikeouts.
Looking Ahead
Originally, the Rams were scheduled to play their first
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) game of the season against the University of Wisconsin Superior (UWS) Yellowjackets on Wednesday afternoon. However, the double-header since has been postponed and NCU will have a small break going into the Easter holiday weekend.Next up North Central softball will go head-to-head with the North College (NC) Lumberjills on Wednesday, April 7. First pitch for the double-header is slated for 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in Ashland, Wisconsin. To view Northland's COVID-19 policy on fan attendance for the upcoming game, click
here. Additionally, fans are encouraged to follow official Rams
Instagram,
Facebook, and
Twitter pages for schedule updates and any other important information.
