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

Box Score

Apr. 28, 2010 - Doing all of its scoring in the first four innings, the North Central College baseball team won for the sixth straight time Wednesday, posting a 12-5 victory over Benedictine University at Zimmerman Stadium.

The win was the Cardinals' first over their local rival since 2007, and improved North Central to 13-2 in non-conference play this season. The Cardinals are now 12-3 in home games.

North Central's first six batters reached safely in the first inning, allowing the hosts to score the game's first three runs. Michael Corrigan drove in the first run of the day with a single through the left side, and Matt Abraham scored on an error before an RBI groundout by Brennan Hagensee.

Benedictine (15-17), however, answered with three runs of their own in the top of the second, and designated hitter Kevin Ross' RBI single in the third gave the Eagles a 4-3 lead. The advantage was quickly erased in the bottom of the inning, as Corrigan scored on a wild pitch, Joe Turek scored on an error and Nick Robinson brought home two runs with a base hit.

The Cardinals put the game out of reach with a five-run fourth inning. Abraham led off with a walk and scored on a double by Corrigan, who later scored on Turek's single. Hagensee and Turek scored on an infield error and Robinson followed with a sacrifice fly as the hosts pulled ahead, 12-4.

The Eagles got one run back in the fifth but were held hitless for the final four innings by a quartet of North Central relief pitchers.

Robinson and Corrigan each went 2 for 4 in the game, while Steve Hlavac was 2 for 3. Aaron Kovac allowed two runs on four hits in three innings of relief and was credited with the win (1-0).