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

Box Score

CHICAGO, Ill. (Apr. 20, 2013) – Trailing by five runs after five innings, the North Central College baseball team tallied five runs in the top of the sixth and three more in the eighth en route to an 8-6 victory over North Park University, Saturday night at the Holmgren Complex.
 
After North Park scored four runs in the bottom of the first and another in the fourth, the Cardinal bats came alive in the top of the sixth scoring five runs on four hits while taking advantage of a Viking error.
 
Brad Gerdes got the Cardinal scoring started with a 2-RBI single before Alex Khoury crossed as Kevin Hennessy reached on an error.  Later in the inning, Matt Brancato lined an RBI single, one of his three hits, followed by a Hennessy scoring on a double play to knot the score 5-5.
 
The Vikings (15-14, 8-5 CCIW) reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the sixth as Zak Worsley stole home on a double steal.
 
The Cardinals (12-14, 5-8 CCIW) rallied again in the top of the eighth as Hennessy scored his second run of the game on a Brancato single.  Later in the inning, Nick Daniels drove home Brancato and would score two batters later on an RBI-single off the bat of Tom Ross to give North Central the decisive 8-6 lead.
 
Brendan Ryan closed out the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season, securing the win for Jake Staab throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief giving up just one run on one hit.
 
Four Cardinals finished with multiple hits, led by Brancato's 3-for-5, two-RBI performance at the plate.
 
The two teams square off again tomorrow, Apr. 21 with first pitch of the doubleheader slated for 12 p.m. at Zimmerman Stadium.