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

Box Score

SAUGET, Ill. (May 18, 2017) – Perhaps taking a lesson from last season's postseason appearance, the North Central College baseball team claimed a 3-1 win over 14^th-ranked Washington University-St. Louis behind a complete game from Austin Polezoes to win the all-important opener in the 2017 NCAA Division III Central Region Championship at GCS Ballpark over the second-seeded Bears.

It was WashU (26-9) who jumped on the board early, as Polezoes shuck off some early nerves to battle out of a bases loaded situation with one out to allow just one run, surrendering a one-out walk to Auggie Mense, his only walk issued all ballgame, while Mensa came around to score on a fielder's choice later in the inning.

WashU starter Brad Margolin entered the afternoon with a perfect 9-0 record on the season and was on point early, retiring the first 10 batters he faced until a Jeremy Quade single in the top of the fourth started a Cardinal rally. 

Nick Sotiros followed with a single to left center on a 0-2 pitch to put runners on first and second with one out.  After a strikeout, John Carmody stepped to the plate and lined a single up the middle, scoring Quade while knotting the score 1-1.

After surrendering the first inning run, Polezoes settled in nicely to blank the Bears offense over the final eight innings, scattering just seven hits the rest of the game, all singles, walking none, while WashU stranded a runner on third to end each of the fifth, seventh and eighth innings.

The Cardinal offense came alive in the top of the eighth, finally getting to Margolin, as Michael Mateja lined a sharp single to center to lead off the frame.  After Quade singled to right center, advancing Mateja to third, Chris Hill dribbled an infield single to the hole at shortstop, driving home Mateja with what proved to be the game-winning run.

Later in the inning with two outs and runners on first and second, Sing Fong shot a RBI-single up the middle, plating Quade while increasing the Cardinal lead 3-1 in the process.

Polezoes improves to 4-3 on the season, allowing just the one earned run over his nine innings, striking out two on just 112 total pitches.

Margolin suffers his first loss of the season, allowing three runs, all earned, on nine hits over his 7 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Quade finished 2-for-4 from the plate with two of the three runs scored, while Fong was also 2-for-4 with a RBI.  Sotiros also added a pair of hits, while Mateja went 1-for-5 with a run scored to increase his reached base streak to 37 games dating back to Mar. 20.

North Central (26-16), the fifth-seed in the tournament, advances in the winner's bracket and will face the winner of Webster University and Wartburg College tomorrow at 7 p.m.   The link to the tournament website is available HERE.