Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- After just having a doubleheader on Saturday, the North Central University (NCU) softball team suited up again for another Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) doubleheader, this time against the top-seeded Bethany Lutheran College (BLC) Vikings. Despite the three runs put across the plate in game one, the Rams ultimately fell short in both contests on the day.

Game One Recap

Early on it was first basemen Lindsey DeJong (St. Charles, MO, St. Charles High School) who got NCU's offense going with one run and one RBI right off the bat. After that, the scoring was even spread throughout the Rams' lineup highlighted by Selma Carrasco (El Paso, TX, Mountain View High School), Megan Paulson (North Liberty, IA, Iowa City West High School), Rachel Loukinen (Little Falls, MN, Little Falls High School), and Marisela Govea Brown Castro (Austin, TX, Junction City High School). NCU played evenly with BLC for the second, third, and fifth innings, but the Vikings' offense in the first and fourth innings came alive and created distance between themselves and North Central. Catherine SanMiguel (San Antonio, TX, Kaiserslautern High School) was on the mound again for the third game in two days, fueling the Rams defensively.

Game Two Recap

On the second game of the afternoon, BLC started off strong on the offensive end. However, NCU was able to put a stop the Viking's efficiency in the third inning through excellent defensive effort. Leading this effort was DeJong at first base. DeJong contributed seven putouts herself, multiple of which were assisted by shortstop Paulson, second base Loukinen, and pitcher SanMiguel. The Rams ended up having more assists than the Vikings displaying their highly effective teamwork. NCU's offense came alive late in the game with a run by Paulson that was batted in by Loukinen.

Key Performers

• Lindsey DeJong was a defensive machine with 13 total outs for the Rams. The true freshman went 2-for-3 in game one while also manufacturing a run and RBI.
• At shortstop, Megan Paulson had quite a well rounded day defensively by tallying five assists in both games. The veteran also had a great first game offensively by going 2-for-3.
• Similarly, junior Rachel Loukinen had one run on a 1-for-3 showing at the plate in the second game, one RBI, and six assists in total.

Looking Ahead

In another quick turnaround, the Rams travel to New Ulm, MN to face UMAC opponent Martin Luther College (MLC). The doubleheader has times of 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Click here to view MLC's COVID-19 policy on fan attendance if interested in traveling to the game. Also, all fans are encouraged to tune into official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages for scheduling updates and any other important information.