Contact: Tyler Friel, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Box Score

FORT MEYERS, Fla. (22 Mar. 2017) – Despite erupting for a seven-run third inning, the North Central College baseball team was defeated in their third game against a nationally ranked opponent, losing 12-7 to Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday afternoon.

In their final game of their spring trip, the Cardinals experienced an early deficit as the #No. 18 Blue Jays put up five runs in the first inning, piling five hits on Cardinal starter Evan Blunk. Johns Hopkins then exploded for another four runs in the third, taking a commanding 9-0 lead. The Cardinals would not go silently as they used a seven-run inning to pull within two. Sam Siebers started the scoring with a two-RBI single to score Nick Sotiros and Chris Hill. Two batters later, a bases loaded walk to Robert Zebrauskas pushed the score to 9-3.

After a Blue Jays pitching change, Jeremy Quade singled with the bases loaded to score both Siebers and Adam Nelson. Sing Fong then drove in Zebrauskas and a double steal involving Fong and Quade combined with a throwing error from the Blue Jays gave capped the North Central scoring at seven.

With the momentum shifted to the Cardinals, the two teams blanked each other over the next two innings but the Blue Jays were able to shut out the Cardinals the rest of the way, while adding one run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

Johns Hopkins outhit North Central 20-13 and committed only one error to the Cardinals three.

Hill and Nelson led the way for North Central (2-6) with three hits apiece while Siebers and Quade ended the day with two RBI. All but two Cardinals finished with at least one hit on the day. Fong and Quade each had a stolen base in the contest.

The Cardinals return home on Tuesday, March 28 as they host conference foe Elmhurst College at 3 pm. Live stats can be found HERE.