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

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Apr. 19, 2019 – Extending their College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) win streak to 10 with a doubleheader sweep of Carthage College on Friday, the North Central College baseball team hung on to a 5-4 win in the opener before waiting out a fire delay in game two that sparked a five-run fourth-inning en route to a 10-4 victory.

With the score knotted 3-3 heading to the bottom of the eighth in the opener, a Carthage error to lead off the inning proved to be the difference as Colin Weilbacher reached and advanced to second on a throwing error by the Red Men third baseman.  Following a pair of strikeouts that should have ended the inning, Jared Wojcik picked a brilliant time for his first extra-base hit of the season, lining a run-scoring double to the left center field gap to give the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.

North Central (22-7, 12-3 CCIW) added what proved to be a huge insurance run on a Michael Stoltz RBI-single up the middle to score Wojcik and increase the lead to two runs.

With two outs and nobody on in the top of the ninth for Carthage, a double and an error put runners on first and third with the go-ahead run at the plate.  After a balk handed the Red Men a run and put the tying run at second, Tyler Jones was summoned from the bullpen and needed just one pitch to earn the save, inducing a fielder's choice to end the game and record his team-leading fourth save of the season.

Seven different Cardinals accounted for the team's seven hits in the opener, as Matt Sutherland finished 1-for-2 with a walk, two hit by pitches and a run scored, while Joe Rizzo finished 1-for-4 with two RBI.  Wojcik and Stoltz each added a 1-for-3 performance with a RBI and run scored.

Austin Polezoes improves to 3-2 on the season with the win, allowing three runs on five hits over his eight innings pitched, striking out eight while surrendering just one walk.

Holding a 2-1 lead heading to the fourth of game two, a small fire broke out in the Carthage dugout after a portable heater caught fire, causing a slight delay and a cameo from the Naperville Fire Department.  The fire seemed to light a spark for the Cardinal offense, putting up five runs in the bottom half of the frame as a pair of hit by pitches and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out.

With the bases full of Cardinals, Wojcik drove home the first run of the inning without the Cardinals putting the ball in play, drawing a walk to score Weilbacher, while Rizzo trotted home on a wild pitch a few throws later.  Stoltz then pulled off a perfect squeeze bunt the following batter, scoring Justin Rios while beating out the play for an infield single in the process.

After another infield single off the bat of Sutherland loaded the bases again with no outs, Jeremy Quade singled home Wojcik while Stoltz scored on an error by the Carthage right fielder, extending the lead 7-1.

Carthage attempted a run at a comeback with a three-run top of the sixth, but the Cardinals answered right back with a three-run bottom half of the frame, as Sutherland tripled, Quade doubled and Rob Marinec singled home runs to cap the scoring.

Patrick Schaefer finished out the final three innings in relief to tally his third save of the season and has not given up an earned run over his last three appearances totaling 10 innings.

Improving his record to an unblemished 5-0, Charlie Klemm allowed four runs on five hits over his six innings of work, striking out eight batters.

Sutherland finished the nightcap with three more hits, finishing 3-for-4 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored, while Stoltz also finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two driven in.  Quade added a 2-for-5 performance with two RBI and a run scored, while Rizzo scored twice and was hit by a pitch twice.

With Augustana College dropping both games of their doubleheader against Wheaton College this afternoon, North Central moves atop the conference standings as the Cardinals seek their third-straight CCIW sweep in the series finale against Carthage on Saturday, as first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Augie Schmidt Field in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.