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

Box Score

DECATUR, Ill. (May 2, 2017) – A nine-run bottom of the second inning for Millikin University put the North Central College baseball team in an early hole that the Cardinals were never able to dig themselves out of, dropping a 10-7 contest at Sunnyside Park on Tuesday afternoon in the rubber match of the season series.
 
North Central actually jumped out to an early lead, as Jeremy Quade and Nick Sotiros each singled in the top of the first to set the stage for John Carmody.  Carmody promptly gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead with a two-out, three-run homerun.
 
The Cardinals (15-15, 10-8 CCIW) added another run in the top of the second to increase the lead 4-0 as Robert Zebrauskas stole home, completing the double steal with Michael Mateja.
 
That lead quickly diminished however, as Millikin sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the second, scoring nine runs on eight hits, including a pair of homeruns, while taking advantage of two Cardinal errors.  North Central committed six errors on the evening, the second straight game with as many errors.
 
North Central's comeback attempt started with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, as Mateja smacked his third homerun of the season, a two-run shot, after Matt Sutherland extended the inning with a two-out base hit, trimming the Big Blue lead 9-6.
 
Three runs proved to be as close as North Central would come to the lead down the stretch, as Millikin added another run in the seventh, before shutting the door on a ninth-inning Cardinal rally, as North Central had the tying run at the plate to end the game.
 
Carmody finished 2-for-4 including his team-leading fifth homerun to go along with three RBI and a run scored, while Sotiros also added a pair of hits, drove in a run and scored once.
 
Chris Hill's third inning double increased his career total to 44, tying the program's all-time record in the process.  Mateja finished 1-for-5 with two RBI, increasing his reached-base streak to 25 games, while Quade extended his hitting streak to 13 after going 1-for-5 from the dish.
 
North Central continues a stretch of eight games in eight days tomorrow, traveling to Illinois Wesleyan University with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. at Horenberger Field.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.