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

Box Score

Apr. 29, 2021 – Despite out-hitting Augustana College on Thursday, the North Central College baseball team could not overcome a seven-run third-inning for the Vikings, coming out on the wrong end of a 12-6 final at Zimmerman Stadium to snap a 12-game win streak.

With North Central holding a slim two-game lead atop the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) heading into the afternoon, the Vikings are now one-game back of the Cardinals as North Central racked up 13 hits to the Vikings' nine on the afternoon but committed four errors in the loss and could not recover from the seven-run third.

North Central (23-6, 17-4 CCIW) led 3-0 after two innings, as Luke Lehnen led off the bottom of the first with a double down the left field line, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a RBI-single off the bat of Rob Marinec to take a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second, the Cardinals plated two more runs, taking advantage of a pair of Viking errors in the inning as Dom Listi delivered the big hit, a two-out, two RBI-triple to right center to increase the Cardinal lead 3-0.  The triple gives Listi 10 on the season, becoming the first Cardinal to record double-digit triples in a single-season.

That 3-0 lead was quickly erased in the top of the third however, as Augustana sent 12 batters to the plate to score seven runs and overtake the lead 7-3.

The Cardinal offense never recovered from that point forward, as Augustana went on to score five more runs to North Central's three.

Lehnen led the Cardinals reaching base four times, going 3-for-4 at the dish with a walk and two runs scored.  Justin Rios finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Kobe Shutter added a 2-for-5 performance with two RBI in his first start of the season.

Eight of the nine Viking hits were singles on the afternoon, while nine of the 12 runs came from the top four batters in the lineup, as Matt Ozanic led the way with a 3-for-3 showing with a walk, two-run homerun, four RBI and two runs scored.  The bottom two hitters in the lineup each recorded two hits for Augustana, while Alex Simon finished 2-for-5 with a game-high three runs scored.

North Central hits the road on Friday, Apr. 30, opening the three-game weekend series with Wheaton College with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. at Pfund Stadium in Carol Stream, Illinois.