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May 17-21, 2001 Carson Park Eau Claire, Wis. |
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Final Score: North Central 8, Ithaca 4 The Highlights: Megan Thomas, North Central: 2-for-2, 1 run, 3 RBIs Kim Sebastiao, Ithaca: 2-for-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI |
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North Central
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EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Twos were wild for the Ithaca and North Central fastptich softball teams in their NCAA Division III National Championship loser's bracket elimination game Friday.
And it was the last two — home run No. 2 of the season by North Central's Kelly Paryl — that proved the most devastating, as the Cardinals broke open a 4-4 game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to carry North Central to an 8-4 victory.
With the win, the Cardinals (45-10) advance to Saturday's 1:30 p.m. game against the loser of the Muskingum-Saint Mary's game played later Friday evening.
The teams traded two-run innings to take a 4-4 game into the bottom of the sixth. Ithaca scored two in the first on Laura Remia's 14th home run of the season — a two-run bomb that not only cleared the 200-foot softball fence, but also the 240-foot fence behind it — and added two more in the fourth, while North Central scored two in the second, then added two more in the fourth on a two-out, two-run single by Megan Thomas.
Thomas then gave the Cardinals the lead for good in the sixth with a one-out RBI single, scoring Betsy Dwyer, who had drawn a one-out walk and moved to second on Renee Miklosik's infield single. Paryl then picked up her lone hit of the game — and three-run home run to left.
Thomas was a perfect 2-for-2 with a run scored and three RBIs, while Dwyer was also 2-for-2, scoring twice and driving in two runs to pace North Central's 10-hit attack. Kim Sebastiao and Kimberly Stephens each collected two hits in the losing effort for Ithaca.
Breanne Robertson picked up the pitching win for the Cardinals in relief of starter Shannon Pedersen, who went the first four innings, giving up four runs on sixth hits. Robertson surrendered only one hit, a fifth-inning single to Mairin Dudek, in three innings, while walking two and striking out two. Abigail Hanrahan took the loss for Ithaca, which ends it season with a 31-15 record. Hanrahan pitched all six innings, surrendering 10 hits, while walking two and striking out two.