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

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

GARY, Ind. (Apr. 23, 2009) - The North Central College baseball team came within one inning of a two-game sweep of Wabash College (Ind.) on Thursday, instead coming away with a split of a double header at U.S. Steel Yard. The Cardinals won the first game, 10-5, before an 8-5 loss in the nightcap.

North Central (8-17) needed to send just three batters to establish a lead in the opener, as Dan Scott walked and Steve Hlavac doubled before Michael Corrigan added a two-bagger of his own to drive in two runs. Corrigan wound up scoring on a double play and Matt Abraham scored on an error to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead after the first frame.

After a scoreless second inning, North Central got an RBI single from Andrew Wulbecker in the third before Corrigan's three-run home run in the fourth boosted the Cardinals' advantage to 8-0. A run-scoring single by Abraham and an RBI groundout by Joe Heller produced a pair of runs in the seventh inning before Wabash closed the gap to five runs in its last turn at bat.

Joe Turek was a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with two doubles in Thursday's first game, while Hlavac was 2 for 3. The Cardinals opted to spread the pitching chores to their bullpen, with seven pitchers getting an inning's work. Nate Arenson opened the contest and was awarded the victory (2-0).

North Central jumped out in front early in the second game as well, as Justin Moriarty doubled in the first run in the second inning. Turek singled in a run and Adam Dobrez plated a run with a sacrifice fly in the third, Nick Robinson added an RBI base hit in the fourth, and Dobrez scored on a passed ball in the fifth to account for the Cardinals' scoring.

Trailing, 5-3, heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Little Giants (17-15) tied the score before pinch hitter P.J. Tyson came on with one out and hit a walk-off three-run homer to secure the split.

Scott went 2 for 3 and Robinson was 2 for 4 in the final game of the evening. Jeff Dickey was assigned the loss on the mound (0-1).

The Cardinals return to College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play on Saturday, traveling to Carthage College (Wis.) Play is scheduled to begin at noon.