Box Score

Highlight Video

Mar. 28, 2009 – The North Central College baseball team shook off its recent losing skid in dramatic fashion on Saturday, defeating Augustana College (Ill.), 7-6, in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opener for both teams.

The Cardinals (2-7, 1-0 CCIW) entered their matchup with the Vikings having lost their last five games, and trailed by as many as four runs early, but made several clutch plays late in the contest to post their first win over Augustana since the 2007 season.

North Central was able to score the game's first run in the opening inning, as Joe Heller singled to right field, driving home Matt Abraham. The Vikings, however, put together a three-run rally in the second and tacked on two more in the third to pull ahead, 5-1.

The hosts got two runs back in the bottom of the third. Matt Burke led off the inning with a double, and later scored on a triple by Michael Corrigan. Heller grounded out to second base with one out, driving home Corrigan and shaving the Cardinals' deficit to 5-3.

Corrigan led off the sixth inning with a single, and Heller drew a walk to bring up Adam Dobrez, who hammered a two-run double to left field, tying the score at 5-5. Dobrez ended up scoring the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Steve Hlavac.

Augustana (12-4, 0-1) took advantage of a hit batter and a walk to plate the tying run without recording a hit in the eighth. The Cardinals responded with a run of their own to move back in front, as Dustin Gilbreth sent a base hit through the right side of the infield to drive in Nick Robinson with two outs.

Corrigan went 3 for 4 at the plate for the Cardinals. Mike Kloss pitched the first seven innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out three. Matt Blaine got a pair of outs with runners on in the eighth inning to get the win (1-0), while Kevin Krajewski shut down the Vikings in the ninth to record a save in his first relief appearance of the season.

The Cardinals travel to Augustana for two more games on Sunday. Action at Swanson Stadium is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.