FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

ELMHURST, Ill. (Apr. 10, 2009) - The North Central College baseball team came within one inning of a sweep of Elmhurst College on Friday, but a late rally in the second game preserved a  split of a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin double header at Butterfield Park.

The Cardinals rode the right arm of starting pitcher Mike Kloss to victory in Friday's opener, as the junior pitched all nine innings and struck out a career-best 17 batters while allowing just three hits and two runs. After falling behind, 1-0, in the first inning, North Central tied the score in the second on an RBI single by Dan Scott, and a run-scoring groundout by Adam Dobrez provided the Cardinals with a 2-1 lead in the third.

Elmhurst (11-12, 3-8 CCIW) knotted the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the third inning, and the score remained tied until the seventh, when Michael Corrigan scored on an error. Another bunt single by Scott plated the Cardinals' fourth run in the eighth inning.

Corrigan went 2 for 2 with two walks in the first game, while Peter Romanello was 2 for 3 and Scott and Joe Turek each went 2 for 5. 

The Bluejays took a 2-0 lead after one inning of the nightcap, but North Central put together a four-run rally in the fifth to pull in front. Justin Moriarty grounded out to score the Cardinals' first run, Corrigan was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Andrew Wulbecker singled to drive in two more runs to provide North Central with the lead.

Elmhurst countered with three runs in the fifth to regain the lead, but the Cardinals constructed a three-run surge to move back ahead. North Central scored on RBI singles by Wulbecker, Joe Heller, and Dustin Gilbreth , taking a 7-5 lead. 

Heller flied out to drive in a run in the ninth to give the Cardinals an 8-5 advantage, but Elmhurst tallied three runs in the home half of the inning to force extra innings. The Bluejays loaded the bases in the 11th inning and scored when first baseman Dan Bosco was hit by a pitch.

Wulbecker and Heller each went 3 for 5 at the plate for North Central, while Gilbreth was 3 for 6. Michael McGrath pitched the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. Mike Charles took the loss, allowing one run on two hits in the 11th inning.

The Cardinals host Elmhurst in the third and final game of the series on Saturday at Zimmerman Stadium, beginning at 1 p.m.