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

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (April 3, 2012)—Thanks to an offensive outburst, the North Central College baseball team was able to claim a pair of victories over College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opponent Augustana College, Tuesday inside Swanson/Brunner Stadium.
 
North Central improved to, 4-1, in CCIW play after piling on 21 hits to claim game one of the double header in a sea saw battle in 11-innings, 9-8.  In game two, the Cardinals scored a first inning run and led the entire way, winning by a score of, 5-4.  
 
The Cardinals (13-5, 4-1 CCIW) jumped on the board in the top half of the first inning as Sam Carius led off the game with a single to left center field.  After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Kevin Hennessy drove an RBI single to left, scoring Carius, giving North Central the early, 1-0, lead. 
 
Augustana battled back in the bottom half of the inning scraping together three runs to take their first lead of the game.
 
North Central added a run in the top of the third as Steve Hlavac led off with a single to left and advanced to second on a Hennessy groundout.  Two batters later, Zac Pacanowski singled home Hlavac to trim the Viking (13-7, 1-4 CCIW) lead to, 2-3.
 
The Cardinals retook the lead the next inning plating three runs on three hits.  Luke Waldier got the inning started with a single down the left field line and Alex Khoury was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with nobody out.  After a Carius sacrifice bunt, Joe Paparone scored Waldier on an RBI groundout to third.  Hlavac doubled home Khoury for one of his five hits on the game and would score on Hennessy's second RBI single of the contest, giving the Cardinals the, 5-3, lead.
 
In the fifth inning the two teams traded leads once again. After North Central was able to add a two-out run on a Carius RBI single, Augustana took the lead once again, 6-7, as the Vikings were able to score four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Cardinals countered once again tallying two runs on four hits in the top of the sixth thanks to RBI singles from Joe Turek and Pacanowski.
 
Augustana would not be denied as they once again came back to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
In the top of the 11^th the Cardinals mustered a two out rally once again, scoring an unearned run as Carius singled to center field and later scored on an Augustana error. 
 
Carius led all batters going 5 for 6 on the contest.  Hlavac and Hennessy each went 4 for 6 and Pacanowski was 3 for 6 with 2 RBI.
 
Tyler Herman records the win for North Central, pitching three innings scoreless innings of relief.
 
In the nightcap, North Central jumped out to a first inning lead as Joe Turek drew a bases loaded walk.  Two innings later, the Cardinals increased their lead to, 3-0 as Turek drove in his second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly and Steve Hlavak scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.
 
Augustana's comeback attempt began in the fourth inning as the Vikings were able to plate two runs to trim the North Central lead to, 3-2. 
 
In the top of the sixth, the Cardinals were able to claim back the two runs they gave up as Alex Khoury ripped a two-RBI double down the left field line, increasing their advantage, 5-2.
 
The Vikings scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cardinal pitching staff was able to fend off the Vikings rally, taking game two by a score of, 5-4.
 
Hlavac and Pacanowski led all Cardinal hitters with two hits apiece in game two.
 
North Central travels to Bloomington, Ill. on Friday, April 6 to take on the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan University.  First pitch is slated for 5 pm.