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

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Mar. 23, 2019 – Opening the home portion of the schedule a day early due to poor field conditions at Wisconsin Lutheran College, the North Central College baseball team split the non-conference doubleheader on Saturday, earning a 4-2 win in the opener before the Warriors completed a late comeback in game two with a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth.

In the opener, the Cardinals (9-2) made three second-inning runs hold up as Joe Rizzo drew a walk to lead off the inning while Declan Smyth lined a double to left field two batters later to put runners on second and third with one out.  Michael Stoltz reached on an error by the Warrior left fielder the next at-bat, allowing Rizzo to trot home on the dropped fly ball.

After a Matt Sutherland hit by pitch loaded the bases, Jeremy Quade promptly singled down the left field line, sending Smyth and Stoltz home to score while increasing the Cardinal lead 3-0.

Wisconsin Lutheran (6-5) got on the board with a run in the fourth before North Central answered back with another run in the bottom of the fifth, as Rob Marinec tripled to start the frame and was driven in by John Carmody on a groundout to second.

With one run already in for the Warriors in the top of the ninth and the tying run at the plate, Justin Rios struck out back-to-back hitters to close out the game, earning his second save of the season.

Charlie Klemm was magnificent yet again for North Central on the mound, improving to 2-0 with the win, allowing just one earned run over his seven innings of work, striking out eight while walking a pair.

Quade finished 2-for-3 in the opener with a walk and two RBI, while Rizzo also finished 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored.

Game two began much like the opener with North Central playing at the visiting team and jumping out to a 5-0 lead after two innings, but multiple mental errors over the final seven innings allowed the Warriors to keep the contest close.

Wisconsin Lutheran trimmed the lead in the bottom of the third, as a pair of mental errors by the Cardinal defense on two fielder's choice's extended the inning and allowed the Warriors to plate three runs in the frame.

North Central held the lead for most of the contest until the Warriors finally tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth, but Carmody quickly re-gained the lead for North Central with a solo homerun in the top of the ninth.

Needing just three outs to complete the sweep, Tyler Jones induced a soft groundout against the first batter he face but was pulled following a walk to the next batter.  With Rios summoned from the bullpen to attempt his second save of the day, a hit by pitch to the first batter faced allowed the winning run to reach base.

With runners on first and second with one out, Matthew Schulenburg tied the game with a RBI-double down the left field line, more importantly allowing the winning run to advance to third.  With the infield in and Jason Shanner now summoned from the pen, Johnny Offenbacher dribbled a slow roller to second but the runner on third continued to creep down the line and took off on the throw to first to nab Offenbacher, sliding in just under the tag of Rizzo at home to complete the comeback win for Wisconsin Lutheran.

Rios was credited with the loss for North Central, while starter Blake Kons received a no-decision after allowing five runs, all earned, over his four innings pitched, striking out three and walking three.

Eight of the nine Cardinal hits in the nightcap came from the top five batters in the lineup, as the bottom four combined to go 1-for-17.  Sutherland, Marinec and Weilbacher each recorded two hits, while Marinec and Carmody both scored twice.  Weilbacher and Rizzo each drove home a pair, with Carmody and Sutherland recording the other two RBI.

Brannigan Hart paced the Warrior offense in the nightcap, going 3-for-4 from the plate with two runs scored and a RBI.  Gunner Amelunk and Schulenburg also recorded multiple hits in game two, while eight different Warriors drove in a run.

North Central returns to action on Sunday, Mar. 24, hosting Saint Mary's University (Minnesota) with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m at Wheaton College's Lee Pfund Stadium in Carol Stream, Ill.