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

Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (May 9, 2010) - One day after watching Illinois Wesleyan University hammer five home runs in the second game of a double header, the North Central College baseball team silenced the Titans' bats on Sunday, closing the regular season with a 4-0 victory at Jack Horenberger Field.

The Cardinals (31-7, 17-4 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) posted their first shutout in five weeks and their fourth of the season, securing sole possession of the 2010 CCIW Championship. It is the program's first conference title since 1998 and its 10th championship overall.

North Central sent lefthander TJ Hecimovich to the mound to face the Titans (19-19, 12-9 CCIW) on Sunday, and the freshman allowed just one runner to advance into scoring position in the first six innings before holding the hosts scoreless despite loading the bases in the seventh. Hecimovich departed after eight innings having allowed just seven hits, all singles, and improved to 3-0 with the victory. Kevin Krajewski pitched a perfect ninth inning to preserve the shutout.

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the third inning, as Nick Robinson and Dan Scott scored on a two-run single by Michael Corrigan. Robinson and Scott set the table for two more runs in the fifth, as Robinson singled and Scott was hit by a pitch. The pair successfully executed a double steal before Corrigan came through once again with an RBI single and Steve Hlavac brought home the Cardinals' fourth run with a sacrifice bunt on a squeeze play.

Robinson and Scott, who each went 2 for 4 in the game, now stand second (54) and third (50), respectively, in school history in runs scored in a single season. Robinson's two hits give him 73 for the year, tying him for the Cardinals' single-season record.

North Central will host the 2010 CCIW Tournament, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, at Zimmerman Stadium. The schedule will be released as soon as it is finalized.