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

Box Score

Apr. 11, 2016 – Securing the season series over North Park University, the North Central College baseball team powered past the Vikings, 11-3 on Monday in the rubber match at Zimmerman Stadium.
 
North Central (16-4, 5-3 CCIW) jumped on the board with a five spot in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of two North Park errors in the inning to plate all five runs with two outs.  Bobby Smith began the rally with a two-out single up the middle, before Chris Hill followed with a single through the left side.
 
After Smith and Hill each moved up a base on a wild pitch, Michael Mateja reached on another Viking error, while Smith came around to score to give North Central an early 1-0 lead.  Nick Sotiros kept the rally going with a run scoring single through the left side, scoring Hill and increasing the lead 2-0.
 
The Cardinals still were not finished in the inning, as David Rico followed up with a RBI single to center, while Dan Sotiros got in on the action, roping a two-RBI single to center, scoring Rico and Nick Sotiros to increase the Cardinal lead 5-0.
 
That five-run cushion was more than enough for North Central starter Russell Hoh, as Hoh shut out the Viking offense over his six innings pitched, allowing just four hits while striking out six.
 
The Cardinal offense added another run in the second and two more in the fourth to add to Hoh's cushion, as Sing Fong drew a one-out walk and later advanced to third on a North Park throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt.  Two pitches later, Fong came home to score on a RBI groundout off the bat of Smith, increasing the Cardinal lead 6-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Jeremy Quade reached on a hit by pitch with one out, while Fong followed with a single to right, before Smith drove the pair home with a two-RBI double to right center, yet again increasing the North Central lead 8-0.
 
Two more runs on a line drive homerun over the 370 sign in left center field from Smith in the bottom of the sixth, his first of the season, put things out of reach for the Vikings while giving the Cardinals a 10-0 lead.
 
North Park (8-16, 2-6 CCIW) rallied for two run in the seventh and another in the eighth off the Cardinal bullpen, but the lead was too much to overcome late for the Vikings.
 
Smith finished a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 from the dish with six RBI and two runs scored.  Hill also added three hits with a run scored, while Fong finished 2-for-3 with two walks and four runs scored.
 
Hoh earned the win on the mound, improving to 3-0 on the season, lowering his CCIW leading earned run average to a miniscule 0.72, allowing just two earned runs all season over 25 innings pitched.
 
Mario Creecy was credited with the loss for North Park, allowing eight runs over his 3 1/3 innings, but only two were earned.  Nate Simons and Ray Cekus each finished 2-for-4 to lead the Viking offense, while Anthony Bragg and Alec Strachota each drove in a run.
 
North Central look to sweep the season series from Millikin University on Wednesday, Apr. 13, as the Cardinals swept the doubleheader over the Big Blue on Apr. 5.  Link to live in-game coverage are available HERE.