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

Box Score

DECATUR, Ill. (Apr. 13, 2011) - A big first inning helped alleviate most of the drama in the North Central College baseball team's game at Millikin University on Wednesday, as the Cardinals completed a season sweep of the Big Blue and cruised to a 8-2 win at Sunnyside Park.

The Cardinals (12-7, 6-3 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) tallied five runs in the first inning and never looked back, allowing Millikin just three hits throughout the afternoon.

North Central jumped all over Big Blue starting pitcher Max Couch in the opening frame, as the first six batters reached safely before Millikin reliever John Steele entered the contest. Matt Abraham opened the scoring with a two-run double, and Joe Turek and Zac Pacanowski added RBI singles before Alex Khoury drove in a run with a groundout.

Pacanowski drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning, and the Cardinals plated two runs in the sixth on a groundout by Matt Burke and a single by Hector Belen.

Abraham went 3 for 5 with three doubles and two runs scored, while Turek was 2 for 4. Michael McGrath pitched the first five innings and got the win (1-1) in his first start of the season.

The Cardinals travel to face Elmhurst College in a CCIW double header on Saturday. Action at Butterfield Park is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.