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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

DECATUR, Ill. (Apr. 5, 2016) – After a rough opening weekend in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play, the North Central College baseball team returned to their winning ways with a doubleheader sweep of Millikin University by scores of 6-4 and 10-6 on Tuesday at Sunnyside Park.
 
The opener started as a pitching dual between North Central's Russell Hoh and Millikin's Owen Pulver, as each starter allowed just one run through six innings.
 
The Big Blue (10-8, 0-5 CCIW) pushed across a two-out run in the bottom of the seventh to take a 2-1 lead.  After a pair of lazy fly balls to left to begin the inning, Julian Gutierrez singled and proceeded to advance to second on a wild pitch, while taking third two pitches later on a passed ball.  Two batters later, pinch hitter Andrew Huss drove home Gutierrez with a run scoring single, breaking the 1-1 tie.
 
That lead did not last long for the Big Blue however, as Millikin decided to go to their bullpen in the top of the eighth and North Central responded with three runs on three hits in the frame.  After David Rico walked to lead off the inning, Chris Hill drove a double to center field to put the Cardinals in business with runners on second and third.
 
Two batters later, Michael Mateja gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead with a two-RBI double down the left field line, scoring Rico and Hill.  After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Mateja came home to score on a Kyle Piotrowski sacrifice fly to center, increasing the Cardinal lead 4-2.
 
Nick Rogalski held the Big Blue scoreless in the bottom of the eighth, while North Central took advantage of two Millikin errors to plate two more runs in the top of the ninth and take a 6-2 lead.
 
The Big Blue did not go down without a fight however, as Gutierrez and Jake Stanton cranked back-to-back homeruns in the bottom half of the inning to quickly cut the lead in half 6-4.  Rogalski settled down though and induced a pair of groundouts to end the contest and earn his second save of the season.
 
Hoh earned the victory on the mound, improving to 2-0, allowing two runs, one earned, striking out seven over seven innings pitched.
 
Hill led the offense with a 3-for-4 effort in game one with three doubles, a walk and run scored, while Mateja drove in a pair and scored once.
 
North Central scored often and early in game two, jumping out to a 6-0 lead after plating three in the first, another in the second and two more in the top of the third.
 
Jeremy Quade led off the game with a walk and proceeded to steal second to get the Cardinal rally started.  After Rico drew the second straight walk of the inning, Hill clubbed his fourth double of the day, scoring Quade and giving North Central a 1-0 lead.
 
Three batters later, Nick Sotiros drove in Rico on a RBI fielder's choice and advance to second on a Big Blue throwing error, while Hill came around to score on the throw, increasing the Cardinal lead 3-0.
 
In the top of the second, Sing Fong led off the inning with a single, running Millikin starter Ryan Dobey from the game after just one inning pitched.  Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rico increased the lead 4-0.
 
Continuing the offensive onslaught, Nick Sotiros drove home a pair with a double in the top of the third, scoring Bobby Smith and Mateja who each singled earlier in the inning, yet again expanding the Cardinal lead 6-0.
 
That 6-0 Cardinal lead did not last long however, as the Big Blue put together five hits and took advantage on a North Central error to plate five runs in the bottom of the third to draw to within a run of the lead.  Gutierrez highlighted the inning with a three-run homerun, his second long ball of the day.
 
After three scoreless innings, the Cardinals got one run back in the top of the seventh as Mateja and Nick Sotiros smacked back-to-back doubles with Mateja coming around to score on the latter.
 
Millikin gained that run right back in the bottom half of the inning, but North Central responded with a three spot in the top of the eighth as Hill drove in a run with a RBI single and came around to score on a Big Blue error later in the inning.  Rico scored the other Cardinal run on a balk earlier in the inning as the Cardinals increased their lead once and for all 10-6.
 
Nick Anderson shut down the Big Blue offense over the final 2 1/3 innings, not allowing a hit while striking out a pair to earn his first save of the season.  Aside from the five run bottom of the third, starter Evan Blunk only allowed two hits the rest of the way, earning the victory after tossing 5 1/3 innings, striking out five.
 
Four Cardinals finished with multiple hits in the nightcap, led by Mateja's 3-for-4 effort with two runs scored.  Hill finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Fong added two hits and Nick Sotiros ended with two doubles and four RBI.
 
North Central returns to Zimmerman Stadium on Thursday, Apr. 7, playing host to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology at 3 p.m.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.