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

Box Score

CAROL STREAM, Ill. (Apr. 22, 2016) – Shutting out Wheaton College until the ninth inning, the North Central College baseball team cruised to a 11-3 win over the Thunder on Friday evening at Legion Field in the opening game of the three-game College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) series.
 
The only scoring over the first seven innings came in the top of the fifth as North Central tallied three runs as Jeremy Quade lined a RBI single to left, while Sing Fong followed with a two-RBI single to right later in the inning.
 
Starter Jordan Van Dyck kept the Thunder batters off balance all evening, tossing eight shutout innings, scattering just five hits while striking out three, earning the victory and improving to 4-0 this season.
 
The Cardinal offense piled on the run support over the final two innings, scoring three in the eighth and five more in the ninth.  Michael Mateja plated the first run of the eighth, coming home on a wild pitch, while David Rico followed with a single up the middle scoring Nick Sotiros.  Dan Sotiros scored brother Nick later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to center, increasing the Cardinal lead 6-0 after eight innings played.
 
In the top of the ninth, Rico delivered a bases clearing triple to right center with the bases loaded, while Mateja lined a RBI single up the middle earlier in the inning.
 
The Thunder (19-12, 7-6 CCIW) broke the shutout attempt in the ninth, tallying three runs off the Cardinal bullpen, but the lead was too much to overcome at that point as North Central sealed the series opener 11-3.
 
Nick Sotiros led the Cardinal offense with three hits while scoring a pair of runs.  Rico finished 2-for-4 with a walk and four RBI, while Mateja also added a pair of hits and two runs scored.
 
Nick Mailman and Jacob Zeller each had two hits for Wheaton, while the rest of the lineup combined to go 2-for-24 off Cardinal pitching.
 
The two teams are back in action tomorrow at Zimmerman Stadium, with game one of the doubleheader slated for 12 p.m.  Links to live in-game statistics are available HERE.