Box Score
Cardinals dig the long ball. North Central used three solo home runs to defeat CCIW rival Carthage 3-2 Sunday at van Steenderen Field in the Whitewater Regional of the NCAA III softball championship tournament.
Sophomore first baseman Kiersten Tinkoff led off the second inning with her first home run of the season to put North Central out front. The Cardinals went one better in the third inning. Pitcher Vlasta Mangia hit a two out home run, her fifth, and freshman leftfielder Amanda Walker made it back-to-back round-trippers with her sixth of the year to extend the North Central lead to 3-0. Carthage mustered a comeback in the seventh. Junior first baseman Vicki Pyan and junior shortstop Katie Morman stroked back-to-back doubles for the first Carthage run, and a second came in on a fielder's choice. The game ended with a runner on second.
Both pitchers allowed four hits, but three of the four North Central hits left the park. Mangia walked two and struck out one while raising her record to 25-7 for NCC. Carthage's Krystina Leazer, 23-6, walked one and struck out one.
Carthage ends the season 33-12. North Central, 35-11, is playing Luther College, 31-9, at this time. If Luther wins, they will advance to the NCAA III tournament finals. If North Central wins, the teams will play again Monday at 10:00 because of the double elimination format.
