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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

May 1, 2016 – Combining for 12 stolen bases over the doubleheader on Sunday, the North Central College baseball team ran past Elmhurst College by scores of 5-1 and 14-3 on Senior Day to remain atop the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) standings.

In the opener, the Cardinals (26-6, 13-5 CCIW) jumped on Elmhurst starter Ben Havel for three runs in the bottom of the first as Jeremy Quade led off the inning with a single to right center field.  Sing Fong advanced Quade to second on a sacrifice bunt the following batter, while Quade moved up a base on a wild pitch and later scored on a Chris Hill RBI single through the left side.

After a Bluejay error extended the inning and allowed Bobby Smith to come around to score, David Rico increased the Cardinal lead to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Hill.

Those three runs were all the Cardinal pitching staff needed in game one, as Bryan Polowy allowed just two hits over his five innings, striking out six and walking none while improving to 4-1 on the season.

The Cardinal offense added a run in the bottom of the fourth without the ball leaving the infield, as Quade reached on a two-out infield single to third.  Quade proceeded to steal both second and third, while Fong walked the following batter to put runners on first and third.  The two then pulled off a perfectly executed double steal with Quade heading home on the throw down to second in an attempt to nab Fong.

After Elmhurst (18-17, 7-11 CCIW) got on the board with a run in the top of the seventh, North Central claimed that run right back on a RBI single from Austin Wheatley, increasing the lead back to four.

Quade led the Cardinal offense going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three stolen bases, while Rico finished 0-for-1 but walked twice, scored a run and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

In the nightcap it was the Bluejays who drew first blood, as Austin MacMillan lined a two-out single to center, scoring Reagan McReynolds to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead.

That lead did not last long for Elmhurst however, as North Central responded by scoring in each of the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, including four runs in the second and a six spot in the third.

In the second, the Cardinals plated all four runs with two outs as Dan Sotiros plated Hill with a RBI single to right, while Rico and Sotiros both came around to score on a pair of wild pitches later in the inning.  With runners on first and second, North Central once again pulled off a double steal, as Quade swiped second and Matt Sutherland sped home to increase the Cardinal lead 4-1.

The flood gates opened in the bottom of the third as Smith led off the inning with a walk and advance to second on a wild pitch.  Smith then stole third after a walk from Hill, while Michael Mateja singled to the shortstop, scoring Smith, and advanced to second on a Bluejay throwing error.  After Nick Sotiros walked to load the bases, Rico followed suit with a walk of his own, plating Hill.

Still with no outs and the bases loaded, Dan Sotiros lined one back up the middle into center field, allowing Mateja and brother Nick Sotiros to trot home safely.  Sutherland advanced Rico and Sotiros up a base with a sacrifice fly, while Quade drove home Rico with a RBI groundout to first.  Fong got in on the scoring the next batter, lining a RBI single to left, opening the Cardinal lead 10-1.

Elmhurst trimmed the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third, but once again North Central responded by scoring one in the fourth and three more in the fifth to take a decisive 14-3 lead.

Hill finished a perfect 3-for-3 in game two with a walk, three runs scored and a RBI.  Hill's fourth inning double tied Nick Sotiros for the program's single-season doubles record, as the two are now in a three-way tie atop the record board.  Dan Sotiros finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI, while Fong also added a pair of hits.  Quade added two more stolen bases in the nightcap, moving into third on the program's single-season steals list with 22 so far this season.

Evan BLunk improves to 5-0 on the season with the victory on the mound, allowing three earned on four hits over five innings.  The Cardinal bullpen consisting of Andrew Houser, Tyler Shoop, Allen Saffrahn and Michael Sweeney combined to shut down the Bluejay offense on just one hit over the final two innings.

North Central is back in action on Tuesday, May 3, hosting the University of Chicago at 3 p.m. at Zimmerman Stadium.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.