FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324Franklin Box Score
Adrian Box Score
WESTFIELD, Ind. (Mar. 14, 2015) – The North Central College baseball team suffered a pair of tough losses on Saturday, giving up 12 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning leading to a 13-5 loss to Franklin College in the opener, before dropping a 1-0 pitching dual in the nightcap against Adrian College.
North Central lead early and often in the opener against Franklin (5-2), holding a 5-1 lead after seven and a half innings played, but a 12 spot in the bottom of the eighth by the Grizzlies did the Cardinals in Saturday afternoon.
The Cardinals got on the board first, as
Vito DeRango led off the top of the third inning with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. After advancing to third on a
Zach Jarosz sacrifice bunt,
Richard Concialdi singled home DeRango to give North Central an early 1-0 lead.
In the top of the next half inning, as
Jake Rone led off with a hit by pitch and came around to score two batters later on a
Bobby Smith single. After
Joe Paparone swiped third base,
Evan Blunk followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Paparone and increasing the lead 3-0.
After Franklin got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, North Central responded with two more runs in the top of the eighth, putting together three hits while drawing four walks in the inning, as DeRango and Concialdi each drove in a run drawing bases loaded walks.
Everything came unglued in the bottom of the eighth for North Central, allowing the Grizzlies to bat around, while giving up six hits and five walks in the inning leading to 12 runs.
Seth Powers came on in the ninth for Franklin, tossing a scoreless inning while allowing a hit to clinch the 13-5 win.
Ben Krusen started on the mound for North Central, allowing just one earned run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings pitched, striking out six, walking five while hitting four batters.
Michael Sweeney earned the loss, allowing three earned runs while walking two in the eighth.
Paparone, Smith and
Sam Klein each finished game one with two hits apiece, while Concialdi finished 1-for-3 from the dish, driving in a pair of runs.
In the nightcap against Adrian, starters
Bryan Polowy and Adrian starter Eric Schmidt both turned in stellar performances on the mound, allowing only two hits each, but the Bulldogs (5-3) scraped together the game's lone run in the top of the sixth to take the 1-0 win.
Ian Mikowski led off the inning with a walk, proceeded to steal second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Mikowski came around to score two batters later on a Jeff Gertley sacrifice fly to center.
North Central rallied in the ninth as Rone lined a one-out double down the left field line, but the rally was cut short as, Rone was stranded at third to end the game.
Schmidt earned the complete game win for the Bulldogs, allowing just two hits while striking out five over his nine innings pitched.
Polowy was credited with the loss in game two, also tossing all nine innings while allowing the lone earned run on two hits, striking out six and walking four.
Rone and Smith each finished 1-for-4 from the plate, while Adrian's Ryan Dorow connected on the Bulldogs lone hits, finishing 2-for-2 with two walks.
North Central takes on the same two teams tomorrow, squaring off against Adrian at 11 a.m. (ET), followed by Franklin at 2 p.m. (ET) at Grand Park.
