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

Box Score

Apr. 22, 2014 – The North Central College baseball team won its fourth straight contest Tuesday afternoon, breaking out for 16 hits in a 10-8 victory over Aurora University at Zimmerman Stadium.
 
Eight of the nine Cardinal starters recorded a hit as the offense broke out for 10 runs, led by Jake Rone's 5 for 6 effort, making up for a rough day on the mound for the North Central pitching staff. 
 
North Central jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Vito DeRango got the scoring started on a RBI single to right center, scoring Rone who reached via single earlier in the inning.  John Ciolkosz followed with a single through the right side, scoring Sam Klein and Max Boryszewski, increasing the Cardinal lead to three.
 
After Aurora (10-23) plated a run in the top of the second, North Central returned the favor in the bottom half as Boryszewski shot a run-scoring single down the left field line for his first collegiate hit.
 
The two teams traded runs again in the third, before Aurora rallied for two runs in the top of the fifth and another run in the sixth to knot the score 5-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
Sam Klein stepped to the plate with two outs and runners on first and third, and turned on an inside fastball landing just inside the left field line, scoring a pair and taking back a two-run lead.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals (18-10) put together three hits while taking advantage of a Spartan error to score three more runs and take a 10-5 lead.  Carius doubled home a pair in the inning, while Alex Khoury plated a run on a safety squeeze bunt earlier in the inning.
 
The Spartans would not go down quietly, responding with three runs in the top of the eighth before Kelse Gengler came in to shut the door in the ninth, earning his second save in as many games.
 
Rone's five hits are the most in a single game by a Cardinal player this season, while the junior also scored a pair of runs on the afternoon.  Ciolkosz finished 3 for 4 from the dish with two RBI and a run scored, while Klein finished a perfect 2 for 2 from the plate with a pair of hit by pitches, two RBI and a run scored.
 
North Central continues non-conference play tomorrow, heading to the University of Chicago with first pitch scheduled for 3 pm at J. Kyle Anderson Field.  The link to live statistics is available HERE.