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

Box Score

May 1, 2017 – On a soggy afternoon at Zimmerman Stadium, the North Central College baseball team struggled to get anything going offensively and was plagued by six errors on defense en route to a 9-3 loss to Wheaton College after both teams withstood a 2 hour, 54 minute rain delay.

With no score in the bottom of the third, heavy rainfall forced a halt in play that lasted nearly three hours, but once play eventually resumed the Thunder plated the game's first run, as Brett Albaugh launched a solo homerun over the left field fence in the top of the fourth to give Wheaton a 1-0 lead.

The Thunder (21-15, 11-9 CCIW) plated two more in each of the next two innings to take a 5-0 lead, before North Central got on the board with a run in the bottom of the sixth on a Chris Hill double to right center, scoring Nick Sotiros who doubled to left center a few pitches earlier.

Wheaton returned the favor and then some in the top of the seventh, as a pair of Cardinal errors extended the inning and Ben Brittain made them pay, stroking a three-run, opposite-field homerun that just cleared the left field fence, increasing the Thunder lead 8-1.

After Wheaton added yet another insurance run in the top of the ninth, North Central was able to plate a pair as Sotiros drove a bases-loaded single to right, scoring Matt Sutherland and Colin Weilbacher, but it proved to be too little too late for the Cardinals as Wheaton closed out the contest 9-3 forcing a groundout the following batter.

Sotiros finished with four of the seven Cardinal hits, going 4-for-4 from the plate with three doubles, two RBI, a walk and run scored, while Hill finished 1-for-4 with a double and the other RBI.  Sotiros' three doubles move him into a tie for ninth on the program's all-time list with 35, while Hill sits second with 43, just one shy of tying the all-time mark.

Brittain finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Thunder offense, while Johnny Peltz was 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored.

Michael McCraith earned his CCIW-leading eighth victory of the season for Wheaton, allowing just one earned over six innings pitched, scattering five hits while striking out eight.

Austin Polezoes was credited with the loss for North Central after allowing four runs, all earned, over five innings, striking out two while issuing four walks.

North Central heads down to Millikin University tomorrow with the rubber game of the season series slated for 5:30 p.m. at Sunnyside Park.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.