FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Mar. 27, 2011 - The North Central College baseball team improved to 6-3 on the season Sunday, sweeping its second straight home double header by defeating Rockford College, 8-3 and 6-1, at Zimmerman Stadium.
The Cardinals struck early in both games and never trailed, avenging an 8-7 home loss to the Regents (3-6) from last season.
North Central drew nine walks in the opener, three of which came in the first inning. The Cardinals scored twice in the opening frame, as Kevin Hennessy drove in a run with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch.
Rockford broke up the shutout with a run in the fourth inning, though the hosts countered in the bottom of the fourth as Matt Abraham scored on an error. After the Regents scored an additional run in the top of the fifth, North Central broke the game open with a five-run rally. Tom Ross scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning before Joe Turek stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and sent a 3-2 pitch over the right-center field fence for a grand slam, his third home run of the season.
The Regents' Jimmy Dercks hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, but the Rockford comeback effort advanced no further. Jon Rashid pitched all seven innings to get the win (2-0), allowing four hits and two walks while striking out 10.
The Cardinals put up three runs in the first inning of the second game, as RBI doubles by Hennessy and Abraham preceded a run-scoring groundout by Nick Daniels. North Central added a run to its lead in the second inning, as Matt Burke scored on an error.
Rockford (3-6) scored its lone run in the fourth inning, though the Cardinals answered in the fifth with another RBI two-bagger by Abraham. Zac Pacanowski scored the final run of the day in the sixth on a wild pitch.
Brad Crackel got the start on the pitcher's mound and went four innings to get the win (2-0), allowing three hits and one walk and striking out four. Tyler Herman pitched three shutout innings to pick up his second save.
North Central travels to face Aurora University in a single game on Tuesday. Action at Solfisburg Park is scheduled to get under way at 3 p.m.
