FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ELMHURST, Ill. (Apr. 17, 2011) - The North Central College baseball team moved to within a half-game of the lead in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin standings on Sunday, as the Cardinals swept a double header against Elmhurst College, 15-1 and 11-10, at Butterfield Park.
North Central (14-7, 8-3 CCIW) heads into Monday's series finale tied with Augustana College and Carthage College for second place in the conference, while Illinois Wesleyan University currently resides in first place at 9-3.
The Cardinals scored 11 unanswered runs in the opener, scoring at least once in six of the seven innings played. North Central got its offense rolling in the first inning, as Matt Burke drew a walk and stole two bases before scoring on a groundout by Matt Abraham.
Joe Turek ignited a three-run second inning by leading off with a solo home run, his fifth of the season. Brennan Hagensee later added an RBI double and Dan Scott drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Burke's single in the fourth tacked on another run, and the Cardinals scored twice in the fifth on a groundout by Zac Pacanowski and a sacrifice fly by Hagensee.
North Central scored four times on just two hits in the sixth inning, taking advantage of three walks and a hit batter. Turek drew a walk and Pacanowski was hit, both with the bases loaded, before Hagensee's single plated two runs. The Cardinals put up four more runs in the seventh on singles by Kevin Hennessy, Nick Daniels and Pacanowski and a bases-loaded walk by Alex Khoury.
Daniels went 4 for 5 at the plate, while Hagensee went 2 for 3. Scott, Hennessy, and Turek each scored three runs and Turek drew three walks. Each member of the Cardinals' batting order drove in at least one run. Jon Rashid pitched all seven innings to get the win (3-0), scattering six hits and striking out seven.
The Bluejays (11-12, 1-10 CCIW) pushed across three runs in the second inning of the nightcap to take an early lead before Khoury reached on an error and scored on a fielder's choice in the third to get North Central on the board.
The Cardinals trailed, 4-1, heading into the fifth inning before scoring four times to move in front for good. Pacanowski and Khoury led off with a pair of walks and Scott reached with a bunt single before Pacanowski scored on a fielder's choice and Khoury crossed the plate on a groundout. Hector Belen put the visitors ahead by smacking a two-run double with two outs.
Burke added a run to the Cardinals' lead with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Hagensee's one-out double in the seventh chased home two more runs. Belen delivered another RBI double before scoring on an error in the eighth and Burke singled home a run in the top of the ninth.
Elmhurst launched its bid for a comeback by getting its first six hitters of the ninth inning on base safely, five of which drew walks. The Bluejays were able to score six times and close the gap to a single run before relief pitcher Tyler Herman got the final two outs to close out North Central's third straight win.
Scott was 3 for 4 in Sunday's second game, while Belen and Hagensee each went 3 for 5. Travis Vanderwall pitched five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, to get the victory (2-1).
North Central will host the final game of the three-game series on Monday at Zimmerman Stadium, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.
