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

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Apr. 2, 2021 – Following a tough to swallow 5-4 loss in the opener, the North Central College baseball team rebounded with a vengeance in game two, racking up 18 hits in a 11-1 win over Carroll University in a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) doubleheader.

The Cardinals (11-4, 6-2 CCIW) jumped out to an early lead in game one, stringing together three hits to plate a trio of runs as Luke Lehnen led off the ballgame with a base hit to right field.  After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Justin Rios and a steal of third base, Lehnen was driven home by Rob Marinec on an error by the Pioneer shortstop.

With one out and one on, Dom Listi shot a double down the left field line, scoring Marinec from first, while Paul Beverly scored Listi with a sacrifice fly to left two batters later, giving North Central a 3-0 lead in the first.

The North Central bats then went quiet over the next seven innings, while Carroll was able to tie the game with a three-spot in the top of the third, as T.J. Pfaffle delivered the big hit, a two-RBI triple to left.

Carroll (9-8, 3-6 CCIW) took the lead for good with a run in each of the fourth and seventh innings to extend the lead 5-3.

The Cardinals added a run in the bottom of the ninth on a RBI-fielder's choice off the bat of Colin Weilbacher, but stranded a pair on base to end the game.

Offensively, Lehnen led the team with a 3-for-5 performance from the plate with a run scored, while Listi reached four times, finishing with a double, two hit by pitches and a walk.

Jason Shanner fell to 2-1 on the season, allowing five runs, four earned, over 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts.

The Cardinals made up for the lack of offense in the opener with 11 runs and 18 hits in the nightcap in just seven innings, scoring in five of those innings, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Lehnen drove in Beverly with a RBI-fielder's choice.

Putting up a crooked number in the bottom of the third, Marinec and Listi both singled to start the frame and put runners on first and third with nobody out.  The pair then pulled off a double steal, with Marinec swiping home on the attempted throw down to second.  Two batters later, Beverly drove in Listi with run-scoring base-hit to right.

With Beverly still on first, Michael Davis lined a base knock to center which got by the Carroll center fielder, allowing Beverly to score on the play.  Brad Novak then followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Davis to give North Central an early 5-0 lead.

The Cardinals plated another run in the bottom of the fourth, once again pulling off a double steal, this time it was Marinec swiping second with Jared Wojcik sprinting home on the throw down to second.

A run on a Joe Rizzo RBI-single to left in the bottom of the sixth increased the Cardinal lead 7-0, before another four-spot in the seventh ended the game in seven innings.  North Central took advantage of a pair of Pioneer errors in the seventh, while Listi and Rizzo each drove in a run and Davis walked with the bases loaded to drive in the 11^th and final run of the game.

All nine starters in the lineup recorded a hit in game two, as Michael Stoltz finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and Wojcik added a 3-for-5 showing with two runs scored.  Marinec was 2-for-4 with a walk and run scored, while Davis was 2-for-3 with two walks, a run and RBI. 

Rizzo also added a pair of hits and two RBI, while Novak finished 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored, and Listi was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a RBI.

Ryan Behling earned the win on the mound, improving to 2-0 on the season, allowing just one earned run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings with five strikeouts.

The two teams are set for the weekend series rubber game on Sunday, Apr. 3 with first pitch from Frame Park in Waukesha, Wisconsin scheduled for 1 p.m.