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

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. (Apr. 25, 2018) – The North Central College baseball team continues to roll in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play, completing the season sweep of Augustana College on Wednesday by scores of 3-1 and 10-4, as the Cardinals have now won the first five CCIW series.
 
North Central (19-9, 14-2 CCIW) his now outscoring conference opponents 153-65 over the first 16 games, while sweeping all three games of the season series from four opponents.
 
The opener featured a dominant performance from the Cardinal pitching staff, as the two teams traded runs in the first inning on sacrifice flies from Mike Wisz and Jake Huber, until Russell Hoh buckled down and held the Vikings (20-12, 8-9 CCIW) to just two hits over his next 6 2/3 innings.
 
The Cardinal offense provided just enough run support, pushing across a pair of runs in the top of the fourth as John Carmody led off the inning with a single to left.  Rob Marinec quickly gave the Cardinals the lead, tripling to left center field, before coming around to score two batters later on a Colin Weilbacher sacrifice fly.
 
Augustana's best scoring chance came in the bottom of the eighth, with runners on first and second with two out, Nick Rogalski was summoned from the bullpen and induced a fielder's choice groundout to third against the first batter he faced to get out of the jam.
 
Rogalski then closed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, earning his fourth save of the season and his program best 15^th all-time.  Hoh earned the victory to improve to 4-0 on the season, allowing just the four hits over his 7 2/3 innings, striking out four while walking just one.
 
Eric Outlaw finished 2-for-3 in the opener with a walk and a run scored, while Marinec added a pair of hits to go along with a run scored and RBI.
 
It was the Cardinals who struck first in game two, as Wisz plated Jeremy Quade on a fielder's choice in the top of the third, but Augustana countered right back with a three spot in the bottom half.  The Vikings drew three consecutive walks to load the bases before John Moraski quickly un-loaded the bases with a double to left, giving Augustana a 3-1 lead.
 
North Central erased that lead the following half inning however, sending 11 batters to the plate en route to a six-run explosion.  Weilbacher started the rally with a one-out single up the middle, before Zach Sefcik singled through the left side.
 
Matt Sutherland then pulled a double down the left field line, scoring both Weilbacher and Sefcik to knot the score 3-3.  Quade promptly scored Sutherland with a RBI-single down the right field line, before coming around to score on a single off the bat of Wisz later in the inning.
 
With two outs, a Viking error extended the inning while allowing Michael Mateja to score after walking earlier in the frame.  Marinec then made the Vikings pay for the free out, lining a single to center, scoring Wisz and capping the scoring in the inning while putting the Cardinals ahead 7-3.
 
North Central put the game out of reach with three more runs in the top of the fifth, as Mateja drove in Sutherland on an infield single, before scoring on another Viking error later in the inning.  Outlaw scored the final run for North Central, racing home on a wild pitch to increase the lead 10-4.
 
Jason Shanner earned his first collegiate victory on the mound, tossing 4 2/3 innings in relief, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out three.  John Clifford finished the game with two hitless frames, facing just seven batters.
 
Sutherland was 3-for-5 in game two with two RBI and two runs scored, while Mateja finished 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, two stolen bases and one RBI.  Quade and Marinec also added a pair of hits, while Wisz drove in a pair, increasing his CCIW-leading season total to 42.
 
North Central returns home on Saturday, Apr. 28, as the Cardinals celebrate Senior Day with first pitch of the twin bill against Elmhurst College at 12 p.m. at Zimmerman Stadium.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.