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

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

May 8, 2010 - For the first time since 1998, North Central College sits at the top of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin pecking order, as the Cardinals clinched at least a share of this year's CCIW title with a split of a double header against Illinois Wesleyan University at Zimmerman Stadium.

The Cardinals won the opener against IWU, 4-1, before a 17-5 loss in the nightcap. North Central can win the title outright with a win or a North Park University loss on Sunday, and has already clinched home-field advantage in next week's CCIW Tournament by virtue of its two victories over the Vikings earlier this season.

Illinois Wesleyan (19-18, 12-8 CCIW) took the lead in the first game on the day's first at-bat, as leadoff hitter Brett Moore hit a solo home run to left field. The Titans' offense was unable to muster any more offense, however, as North Central starting pitcher Mike Kloss yielded just four more hits in his seven innings on the mound. Kloss struck out four and walked two in improving to 7-1 on the season to move into a tie for the conference lead in victories, and became the Cardinals' all-time leader in games started (34).

North Central moved into the lead in the second inning, as Andrew Wulbecker turned in an RBI single and Peter Romanello drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt on a squeeze play. The Cardinals (30-7, 16-4 CCIW) tacked on two more runs in the fourth, getting a run-scoring double from Nick Robinson before Romanello crossed the plate on an error.

Wulbecker finished the game 3 for 4 at the plate, while Robinson went 2 for 3 with two doubles. Kevin Krajewski pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his fourth save of the season.

IWU also got a first-inning home run in the nightcap, as Casey McIntosh hit a two-run dinger to put the Titans ahead once again. The visitors broke the game open with a six-run third inning and led throughout, hitting a total of five home runs in the game.

The Cardinals scored two runs on a third-inning single by Dan Scott, then got a two-run homer from Wulbecker in the fourth and an RBI single from Matt Burke in the sixth.

Romanello was 3 for 4 in the second game, while Robinson went 3 for 5 to raise his current season total of hits to 71, moving past North Central assistant coach Jared Folley '01 and into second place on the program's all-time single-season hits list. Robinson needs just two hits to match the school record of 73, currently held by Ken Ritter '88.

Nate Arenson took his first loss of the season (7-1), yielding eight runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals close out the regular season with a single game at IWU on Sunday at 1 p.m. The schedule for the CCIW Tournament will be posted at northcentralcardinals.com and www.cciw.org as soon as it is finalized.