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

Box Score

Mar. 30, 2013 – Taking advantage of an eight run seventh inning and a stellar pitching performance from Ben Krusen, the North Central College baseball team took the rubber game of the three game series against Carthage College, 11-1.
 
Cardinal starter Ben Krusen kept the Red Men batters off balance all afternoon, scattering six hits over eight innings while giving up no earned runs, in a game shortened due to the ten-run rule.  Krusen forced 15 outs via groundball while striking out five Carthage hitters.
 
North Central struck first in the bottom of the second inning as Matt Brancato walked to lead off the inning before Zac Pacanowski doubled home Brancato to give the Cardinals (9-7, 2-1 CCIW) a 1-0 advantage.
 
The Red Men (6-9, 1-2 CCIW) knotted the score in the top of the seventh as Mike Merritt reached on an error and would score on the next pitch as Matt Richer lined a single up the middle, tying the score 1-1.
 
In the bottom of the inning the Cardinal bats came alive, scoring eight runs on seven hits.  Sam Klein forced the first run home on a safety squeeze bunt scoring Brancato.  After Alex Khoury was hit by a pitch, Frank Sutphin singled home a pair to increase the Cardinal lead 4-1.
 
Later in the inning, John Ciolkosz drove a 2-RBI single up the middle while Kevin Hennessy followed with an RBI-single of his own.  After a Vito DeRango single, Matt Brancato followed with an RBI-double down the left field line while Nick Daniels capped off the scoring in the eighth with a sacrifice fly to center, giving North Central a commanding 9-1 lead.
 
Seven Cardinal batters finished the afternoon with multiple hits including three hit performances from Ciolkosz, Brancato and Klein.  Sutphin drove in a pair of runs while scoring twice.
 
North Central returns to action Tuesday, Apr. 2 in a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin doubleheader against No. 19 Augustana College.  First pitch is scheduled for 12 pm at Zimmerman Stadium.