FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer,Graduate Assistant to Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

FRANKLIN, Ind. (Mar. 3, 2012)-- The North Central College baseball team opened up the 2012 season by splitting a pair of games with Franklin College on Saturday afternoon at McDowell Field.
 
After a struggling, 14-6, loss in game one, the Cardinals (1-1) bounced back to take game two by a score of, 8-5.
 
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the board in the opener as Sam Carius led off the game with a double down the left field line, scoring later in the inning on a wild pitch.  With two outs, Joe Turek singled home Kevin Hennessy, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 first inning lead. 
 
North Central would increase its lead even further in the top half of the third as Turek roped an RBI double down the left field line.  Freshman Luke Waldier smashed a three-run bomb later in the inning for his first collegiate hit, giving the Cardinals a 6-1 advantage.
 
After the third inning, the Cardinal bats went cold as the Grizzlies (5-1) pounded on 13 unanswered runs on 15 hits, over the remainder of the game.  Tyler Herman was the pitcher of record for North Central giving up seven earned runs over 3 2/3 innings.
 
Game two began in the same fashion as the first, as Sam Carius drove a double to left field.  Joe Paparone then homered giving the Cardinals a 2-0 first inning lead.
 
Franklin would answer with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the first, but North Central answered right back with a five run second inning.  Waldier batted in the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to right field.  Kevin Hennessy laced a double to left, driving in two runs before Joe Turek singled in two more runs, giving the Cardinals a 7-2 lead.
 
North Central tallied 12 hits in the nightcap as Carius and Paparone paced the Cardinals with three hits apiece. 
 
Kris Singh recorded his first victory in a Cardinal uniform, giving up two earned runs on six hits while striking out five, over seven innings.  Ben Krusen pitched the final two innings allowing two runs in two innings, striking out four.
 
The Cardinals complete their three game series against Franklin tomorrow with first pitch slated for 12 pm (ET).