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

Box Score

Apr. 19, 2016 – In a top-25 battle at Zimmerman Stadium on Tuesday, the North Central College baseball team used 14 hits to power past No. 19 Concordia University Chicago, 13-6 to improve to 20-5 this season.
 
Concordia Chicago (22-8) struck first with a run in the top of the first off Cardinal starter Andrew Houser, as Andrew Massey lined a two-out single to center, proceeded to steal second and scored on a Brent Spohr single the following batter.
 
That lead did not last long however, as North Central countered with nine runs over the next four innings, including three in each of the first, second and fourth innings.
 
In the bottom of the first, Jeremy Quade led off with a single to right field and proceeded to steal second to spark the Cardinal rally.  Bobby Smith followed with a walk, while the two teamed up each move up a base on a double steal.  Chris Hill and Michael Mateja each followed with RBI infield singles, scoring Quade and Smith, respectively.
 
Two batters later, David Rico lined a two-out single to right, scoring Hill and increasing the Cardinal lead 3-1.
 
The Cardinal bats continued to stay hot in the bottom of the second, as Sing Fong plated Austin Wheatley, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.  After another walk by Smith, Hill drove home a pair with a triple down the right field line, giving North Central a 6-1 lead.
 
The Cougars countered with two runs in the top of the third, as both runs again came with two outs in the inning on RBI base hits from Mitch Wilson and Doug Matthews, cutting the lead 6-3.
 
After another Cougar run in the top of the fourth trimmed the lead further 6-4, North Central opened the lead back to five with a three-run bottom of the fourth.  Wheatley and Quade each singled to lead off the inning, while Fong drew a walk to load the bases with no outs.  Smith quickly changed all that, clearing the bases with a double to right center field to give North Central a 9-4 lead. 
 
North Central all but put things out of reach in the bottom of the sixth, plating four runs on four hits, as Nick Sotiros and Wheatley each recorded RBI doubles, while Rico and Quade each drove home a run with RBI singles in the inning.
 
Houser improves to 5-0 on the season with the win for North Central, allowing five earned on 10 hits over his five innings, striking out four and waling none.  Nick Rogalski and Michael Sweeney combined for three innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit.
 
Wheatley reached base all four times he stepped to the plate, finishing 2-for-2 with a hit by pitch and a walk.  Quade finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a RBI while swiping three of the Cardinals six bases on the afternoon.  Hill added a pair of hits to go along with three RBI, while Smith was 1-for-3 with two walks and three RBI.
 
North Central travels to Wheaton College on Friday, Apr. 22 in the first of the three-game weekend series with first pitch slated for 6 p.m. at Legion Field in Carol Stream, Ill.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.