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

Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. (May 9, 2014) – The North Central College baseball team stayed alive in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament with a 7-3 win over North Park University, Friday afternoon at Swanson Stadium, eliminating the Vikings from tournament play.

The Cardinals (25-14) rode a stellar pitching performance from starter Kris Singh, as Singh completed his fourth game of the season while improving to 6-0, scattering just seven hits over nine innings while giving up three runs, only one earned, and striking out five.

The North Central offense jumped on the Vikings (23-18) for two runs in the bottom of the third as Sam Carius led off the inning with a double to left center.  After two consecutive outs, Sam Klein busted open the scoreless tie with a run-scoring double to center, scoring Carius and giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead.  Vito DeRango followed with an RBI single to right center, scoring Klein from first base while adding to the Cardinal lead.

In the top of the fourth, the Vikings countered with a run to trim the lead in half as North Park had runners on first and third with nobody out, but Singh gladly exchanged a run for a double play the following batter and escaped the inning with just the one run given up.

North Central claimed that run right back in the bottom of the fifth as the Cardinals strung together four hits to plate a run on a John Ciolkosz single, increasing the advantage back to two.

The Cardinals opened the flood gates with a pair of run in each of the seventh and eighth innings, including a Pacanowsi bases loaded walk and RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Alex Khoury in the seventh, and a Joe Paparone RBI double down the left field line in the eighth.

The Vikings rallied with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth, but the Cardinal lead was too much to overcome as Singh shut the door to keep the Cardinals alive in the tournament.

Paparone led all batters going 3 for 5 from the plate with three runs scored and a run batted in, while Klein and DeRango each finished with a pair of hits and a RBI.

North Central will take on the loser of Illinois Wesleyan University vs. Augustana College, tonight in an elimination game at 7 pm.  Additional information on the tournament and the link to live statistics is available HERE.