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

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

CHICAGO, Ill. (May 5, 2012)—The North Central College baseball team suffered a pair of ninth inning losses against North Park University in a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) doubleheader Saturday afternoon inside the Holmgren Complex, falling by scores of 4-3 and 5-4, respectively.
 
The Cardinals (20-17, 9-11 CCIW) were unable to take advantage of a pair of early leads in both games before giving up a ninth inning bases loaded walk in game one and a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth in the nightcap.
 
Joe Turek plated the first two runs of the game for North Central in the top of the first inning, lining a 2-RBI single to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Vikings (28-11, 13-7 CCIW) knotted the score in the bottom of the third inning as Ryan Javech's sacrifice fly and Tony Sanchez's RBI groundout evened the score at 2-2.
 
North Park would take its first lead of the ballgame in the bottom of the sixth inning as Joe Belmonte lined a triple down the left field line and would score later in the inning on a passed ball, giving the Vikings a 3-2 lead.
 
North Central's Ben Krusen would even the score in the top of the eighth hitting his first career homerun, a solo shot to right field, tying the score at 3-3.
 
After loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth, North Park's Ryan Javech drew a walk to give the Vikings the 4-3 victory.
 
Kris Singh went 8 innings on the mound, giving up three earned runs while striking out four.  At the plate Turek was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI while Steve Hlavac also had two hits.
 
Game two began in the same fashion as the opener with North Central taking an early 2-0 advantage on Steve Hlavac's 2-run homerun to right field, his first of the season.
 
Two innings later the Cardinals would increase the lead to 4-0 as Sam Carius scored on a throwing error and Hlavac plated his third run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
North Park's Nick Saldano would hold the Cardinals scoreless the remainder of the contest striking out 11 while walking just one.
 
The Viking comeback began in the bottom of the sixth, plating three runs on four hits including a Kyle Williams solo homerun, trimming the Cardinal lead to 4-3.  North Park would tie the game the next inning as Mike Coduto homered to right center field, evening the score 4-4.
 
In the bottom of the ninth Ryan Javech singled, driving in his second game winning RBI in as many games while securing a share of the conference title for the Vikings.
 
North Central returns home Sunday for Senior Day and the final CCIW contest of the season to complete the three game series against North Park.  First pitch is slated for 1 pm.