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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Apr. 26, 2014 – The North Central College baseball team was able to salvage the season series from Wheaton College in a crucial College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) three-game set, splitting Saturday's doubleheader at Zimmerman Stadium, losing a 5-4 heartbreaker in 12 innings in the opener before responding with a five-run seventh inning in the nightcap to come from behind and scrape out a 7-5 victory.
 
Things looked good early in game one, as the Cardinals jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after three innings.  Zac Pacanowski belted his first homerun of the season over the right center field fence in the bottom of the second, a two-run shot giving North Central the early lead and Joe Paparone lofted a sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom half of the third, while starter Kris Singh held the Thunder hitless through four innings.
 
The game took a swing for the worst in the top of the fifth for North Central as the Thunder bats came alive, plating two runs in the fifth and a run in each of the sixth and seventh to suddenly take a 4-3 lead. 
 
The Cardinals (21-11, 11-7 CCIW) responded right back with a run in the bottom of the seventh as Jake Rone dropped an RBI single just over the shortstop's head into left field, knotting the score 4-4.
 
The score remained deadlocked until the top of the 12^th inning as Kyle Mellinger plated an unearned run on an infield single with the bases loaded to give Wheaton a 5-4 lead and the Thunder's Peter Moran closed the door in the bottom of the inning to earn the victory, throwing 5 1/3 innings in relief while surrendering just one hit.
 
Singh received a no-decision, tossing 9 1/3 innings while giving up four earned runs and striking out one.  Jordan Van Dyck was charged with the loss in the opener, despite giving up just the unearned run over 2 2/3 innings.
 
Paparone finished the opener 2 for 3 from the plate with two walks and a RBI, while Vito DeRango and Jake Rone also had two hits apiece.
 
In the nightcap the Cardinals found themselves down early as Wheaton (19-16, 9-9 CCIW) plated a pair of runs in each of the first two innings, taking a 4-1 lead after two innings played.
 
The Thunder added to the lead in the top of the seventh, plating a two-out run on a Taylor Howe single to center field, increasing the lead 5-1.
 
The North Central offense came alive in the bottom half of the seventh, stringing together three hits while taking advantage of a Wheaton error to plate five runs off Wheaton starter Trey Martin, who entered the contest with a streak of 29 consecutive scoreless innings, which the Cardinals broke in the bottom of the first on a Paparone RBI double.

Sam Carius got the scoring started on a bases loaded walk, driving in Brett Fong while Rone followed with a bases loaded hit by pitch, narrowing the Thunder margin 5-3.  Paparone followed up with a single through the left side, pulling the Cardinals to within a run of the lead.
 
Sam Klein followed with a slow roller to shortstop and the Thunder attempted to turn a double play an get out of the inning, but the Thunder shortstop airmailed his target, allowing two runs to score in the process and giving North Central a 6-5 lead.
 
North Central added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth and starter Bryan Polowy finished what he started, settling in nicely after a shaky first two innings and would go on to retire 14 in a row at one point.  In the first complete game of his career, Polowy allowed five runs on eight hits, striking out five while walking just two.
 
Paparone was 2 for 3 again in the nightcap, driving home a pair of runs while walking once.  Carius also had a pair of hits in game two, to go along with a RBI and a run scored.
 
North Central is just one game back of the top spot in the CCIW with just one conference series left next weekend as the Cardinal take on Carthage College, May 2-3.
 
In the mean time, North Central will host a trio of non-conference games as the University of Chicago comes to Zimmerman Stadium, tomorrow Apr. 27 at 1 pm, before Dominican University and Wisconsin Lutheran College come to town Apr. 29 and 30, respectively.  Links to live audio and statistics is available HERE.