FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Box Score

May 15, 2010-- North Park University's Mike Sommerfield belted a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth, spoiling North Central College's comeback bid and ending the Cardinals' run at the double-elimination College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Baseball Tournament at Zimmerman Stadium. North Central tallied five runs over the final two innings but was unable to overcome the early deficit in the 11-10 defeat.

Trailing 10-7, the Cardinals (31-9) tied the game in the top of the ninth after leading off the frame with a pair of free passes. Dan Scott led off the inning with a hit by pitch before Matt Abraham drew a walk the next at-bat. A Joe Turek double scored Scott before a Steve Hlavac sacrifice fly closed the gap to just one run. Andrew Wulbecker brought in pinch runner Justin Moriarty for the game tying run on a two-out single to left center field.

North Park (28-14) countered in the bottom of the ninth as Devin Melecio reached base to lead off the inning on a Cardinal fielding error. The Vikings would load up the bases before Sommerfield's game winning hit to center field scored Melecio.

The Vikings scored the game's first run in the third inning before scoring five more in the fourth, taking the early 6-0 lead. Wulbecker got the Cardinals on the board in the top of the fifth, scoring on a double play after leading off the inning with a base hit through the left side.

North Central closed the gap to just two runs in sixth inning, getting an RBI single by Hlavac while Peter Romanello plated two on a single to right field. North Park upped its lead back to three runs in the bottom of the inning on a Mike Domenick RBI single before the Cardinals scored a single in the top of the seventh on a Matt Abraham ground out, scoring Scott who belted a leadoff single.

North Central tied the game at seven in the eighth, scoring a pair before the Vikings answered in the bottom half with a two-run outburst. Hlavac led off the inning with a double down the left field line, scoring on a Matt Burke three-bagger before Romanello brought in Burke on a sacrifice fly.

Hlavac finished three-for-four with a pair of RBIs while Scott, Wulbecker, Burke and Romanello each recorded two hits apiece. Domenick paced the Vikings, finishing four-for-four with four RBIs while Trevor Popp was three-for-five with three RBIs.

Kevin Krajewski (2-1) suffered the loss, recording two outs and yielding two earned runs after replacing reliever Ricky Foytik who logged in four innings and allowed just three hits. NPU's Jake Hollinsaid (7-2) earned the victory, tossing the final 1 2/3 innings after replacing starter Pete Sparacino.

The the loss, North Central leaves its NCAA Tournament hopes in the hands of the Division III Baseball Selection Committee as the Cardinals will look to secure one of the 15 at-large bids to the 55-team tournament field.