Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Box Score
Apr. 24, 2018 – Spoiling a couple chances at a late-inning comeback, the North Central College baseball team dropped a 7-5 contest at the hands of Aurora University on Tuesday, in a non-conference game contested at Zimmerman Stadium.
The Spartans (20-9) struck first with an unearned run in the top of the third, as Austin Wiskow reached on an error to lead off the frame and made the Cardinals pay, coming around to score on a two-out single off the bat of Jeffrey Mayes.
North Central countered in the bottom half of the inning, likewise taking advantage of a Spartan error to push across four unearned runs.
Jeremy Quade plated the first run, scoring
Colin Weilbacher on a fielder's choice after a one-out double to left center for Weilbacher.
Quade's fielder's choice should have been the third out of the inning, but the error extended the inning for
Eric Outlaw who reached via infield single to put runners on first and second.
Michael Mateja then lined a double down the left field line, scoring Quade, while
Mike Wisz shot a single through the left side to score Outlaw and Mateja to give the Cardinals a 4-1 advantage.
Unfortunately for the Cardinal defense the errors did not stop there, plaguing North Central in the top of the fourth, allowing three more Aurora runs to score, tying the game 4-4 as the first eight runs of the game were unearned.
After a pair of scoreless frames, Aurora broke open the 4-4 tie by stringing together three hits including a RBI-single from Cale Sparks and a big two-RBI double off the bat of Wiskow, as all three runs came with two outs to give the Spartans a 7-4 lead.
The Cardinals plated a run in the bottom of the eighth, another unearned run on a Spartan error with two outs, but stranded the bases loaded while leaving two on in the bottom of the ninth with the winning run at the plate to spoil the comeback attempt.
Drew Marovich was credited with the win for Aurora, allowing just one hit over his 2 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, while Nicholas Mathey earned his first save of the season closing out the final 1 1/3.
Anthony Serafini received the loss for North Central in relief of
Blake Kons who received a no decision, allowing four runs, none earned, over his four innings of work.
Outlaw, Mateja, Wisz and
John Carmody all finished 2-for-5 on the afternoon, as Wisz drove in two runs to lead the offense.
The bottom four batters of the Aurora lineup combined for nine of the team's 13 hits and five of the seven RBI, led by three hits apiece from Sparks and Colin Rivard, while Wiskow drove in three runs.
North Central returns to College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play on Wednesday, Apr. 25, making the trip to Augustana College with game one of the twin bill at 1 p.m. at Swanson Stadium. Links to live in-game coverage are available
HERE.
