Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. (Mar. 28, 2021) – In a top-10 showdown at the Corn Crib on Saturday, the seventh-ranked North Central College baseball team could not hang on to a 2-0 lead after six innings, narrowly falling to second-ranked Washington University in St. Louis, 4-3.
The Cardinals (9-3) broke up a scoreless affair in the bottom of the fourth, as a dropped flyball with one out by the WashU center fielder led to a pair of unearned runs later in frame. With
Jared Wojcik on second after the error and two outs now in the inning,
Brent Swenson picked a perfect time to record North Central's first hit of the game, blooping a RBI-double to left field, scoring Wojcik in the process.
With Swenson on second,
Luke Gregorio made the Bears pay for the error yet again, lining a single to right-center, scoring Swenson and giving North Central a 2-0 lead.
After six scoreless innings, the Bears (10-0) finally got to North Central starter
Charlie Klemm in the top of the seventh, sending 10 batters to the plate while forcing a pair of calls to the Cardinal bullpen to plate all four of their runs and turn the tables to take a 4-2 lead.
North Central countered with another unearned run in the bottom of the seventh, as
Rob Marinec plated
Michael Stoltz on a RBI-fielder's choice to cut the score 4-3, but the Cardinals stranded the bases loaded to end the inning.
Luke Lehnen led off the bottom of the ninth with a base-hit to center, but was ultimately stranded at second to end the ballgame as North Central stranded 11 total runners.
Swenson finished 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored for North Central at the plate, while Lehnen finished 2-for-5. Gregorio was 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI, while Marinec drove in the final Cardinal run.
Klemm was credited with the loss, allowing four runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and zero walks.
Six different players recorded all six of WashU's hits on the afternoon, while Johnny LaMantia led the Bears with two RBI.
Mitchell Black earned the win for WashU, tossing 4 1/3 innings in relief, allowing three unearned runs while striking out six. Kyle Coates earned the save after completing the final 2 2/3 innings allowing just one hit and one walk.
North Central returns to the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) schedule on Tuesday, Mar. 30, hosting Illinois Wesleyan for a single game at Zimmerman Stadium with first pitch slated for 2 p.m.
