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

Box Score

Mar. 31, 2010 - The North Central College baseball team's nine-game winning streak came to a halt on Wednesday, as Aurora University hammered out 20 hits in posting a 15-9 victory over the Cardinals at Zimmerman Stadium.

The Cardinals (11-2) owned an 8-5 advantage after three innings of play, but Aurora scored eight runs in the following three frames, including a five-run sixth inning, to put the game away.

The Spartans took advantage of a leadoff walk to score the game's initial run in the top of the first, but North Central pulled in front, 2-1, after Michael Corrigan drove in a run with a single and Matt Abraham scored on a wild pitch. After Aurora plated four runs in the top of the second, the Cardinals scored four of their own to regain the lead once again, 6-5.

Matt Burke started the rally by reaching on an error and scoring on a wild pitch, and Abraham and Corrigan each contributed RBI singles before Abraham scored on an error. The hosts tacked two runs onto their advantage in the third on Dan Scott's RBI single and Abraham's run-scoring groundout.

A trio of singles helped Aurora (8-5) bring home a run in the fourth, and the Spartans capitalized on three Cardinal errors in the fifth to tie the score, 8-8. Scott singled to drive in another run in the bottom of the fifth, but Aurora catcher Kirk Williamson's two-run home run with no outs in the sixth gave Aurora a 10-9 lead, and the guests added three more runs before the third out was recorded to take a 13-9 advantage.

Nick Robinson went 3 for 5 with three runs scored for North Central, while Scott and Abraham each went 3 for 6. Caleb Henderson got the start on the mound for the Cardinals and left after 2 2/3 innings, surrendering one earned run on five hits. Joe Wietecha came on in relief in the sixth and got the loss (0-1).

Second baseman Anthony Amedei went 4 for 5 with three runs scored for Aurora, as Williamson went 3 for 5 and shortstop Bobby Wilson was 3 for 6. Lefthander Ryan Wagner pitched 4 2/3 innings of relief and got the win (1-1).

The Cardinals open College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play Friday at North Park University. The double header is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.