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

Box Score

KENOSHA, Wis. (Apr. 1, 2012) - After wiping out a pair of deficits, the stage was set for the North Central College baseball team to negate a third on Sunday at Carthage College, but a ninth-inning rally came up short and the Cardinals were denied a sweep in their three-game series with the Red Men as Carthage prevailed, 5-3.

Down to its final out, North Central (11-5, 2-1 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) got a pinch-hit single from Charlie Hern before Joe Turek drew a walk to put the tying run on first base. Carthage relief pitcher Mitch Lochen, however, got a groundout to close out a three-inning stint on the mound and end the Cardinals' five-game winning streak.

After North Central starting pitcher Ben Krusen and Carthage starter Andrew Arenson pitched shutouts for three innings, the Red Men (6-7, 1-2 CCIW) converted a leadoff single into the game's first run in the fourth. The Cardinals countered in the fifth with a run of their own, as Luke Waldier walked, advanced on a single by Sam Carius and wound up scoring on a wild pitch.

Carthage pulled ahead once again in the sixth, scoring on an error with two outs, but North Central rallied and took the lead in the top of the seventh. Alex Khoury was hit by a pitch and advanced on another single by Carius before scoring on Joe Paparone's sacrifice fly. Carius then stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and came home on Steve Hlavac's two-out base hit.

A two-out RBI double by Carthage shortstop Drew Bailey tied the score at 3-3 after seven innings, and the Red Men tacked on two runs on three hits in the eighth to pull ahead for the final time. 

Krusen pitched seven innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits.

North Central travels to face Augustana College (13-5, 1-2 CCIW) in a double header on Tuesday. Action at Swanson Stadium is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.