NCC Update: Softball Team Reaches National Rankings

softball team received word Wednesday that it had entered the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Rankings at No. 24.

The day after receiving that news, the Cardinals split a CCIW doubleheader with Wheaton and find their record standing at 18-9 overall and 5-3 in the CCIW.

Both games required extra innings. The Cardinals used a two-run home run from Lauren Schramm in the ninth inning for a 5-3 win in the opener. Wheaton turned the tables with a 7-5 win in eight innings in the nightcap.

After Schramm chased home Mary Caron for the winning runs in the opener, Vlasta Mangia (6-4) coaxed three groundball outs in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win. Mangia, Schramm and Erin Drennan each had two hits for the winners.

The Cardinals allowed two unearned runs in the top of the eighth in the second game but threatened in the bottom of the inning. Drennan and Laura Whitfield each singled, but did not score.

*North Central’s baseball team pushed its winning streak to five games by winning the first two games of its series with Wheaton, before dropping the second game of a Saturday twin bill to snap the string

Thursday, the Cardinals earned a 4-2 win over Wheaton. North Central (16-8 overall, 10-4 CCIW) fell behind 2-0 in the first, but roared back behind the arm of Naperville North graduate Nate Arenson and the offense.

Arenson buckled down after the first and didn’t allow another run and finished with the complete game win to improve to 3-1. It was his second complete game of the season.

Matt Burke’s two-run triple in the second gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead that they would not relinquish. Burke doubled and scored on a Michael Corrigan single in the fifth to cap the scoring.

Dan Scott tied an NCC all-time record in the win with his 19th career sacrifice hit.

Saturday the Cardinals won the opener 6-5 and fell 9-8 in the nightcap.

*North Central’s men’s track and field team climbed to No. 2 in the Division III rankings this week.

The Cardinals compiled 149.96 points in the new computer rankings the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association are utilizing this season. That is still well behind first-place McMurry’s 232.55.

The Cardinals are idle this week before sending their top performers to the renowned Drake Relays next weekend. The rest of the squad will compete at the Benedictine University Invitational.

The women’s team climbed to No. 11 in the latest rankings. Wartburg is the No. 1 team. The Cardinals then won five events at Saturday’s Northern Illinois University Huskie Open.

Senior Melissa Savino, a graduate, won the high jump at 5 feet 5 inches and provisionally qualified for the national meet.

* The Cardinals’ men’s tennis team went 2-1 in dual meets last week to improve to 8-9 overall and earn a tie atop the CCIW standings at 3-1 with Carthage.

Each team has a match left to play, but North Central owns the tiebreaker over Carthage.

Thursday’s 6-3 win over Elmhurst put the Cardinals in that position. The win was keyed by Sam Sweeney, who won his 10th straight singles match and teamed with Matt Boguslawski to remain unbeaten in CCIW play in doubles.

Monday’s 3:30 p.m. dual match with Wheaton will wrap up the CCIW slate.

Naperville North graduate Abigail Conover improved to 22-7 in singles play with a win. She also teamed with Margaret Youel to win at No. 1 doubles.