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

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

May 1, 2021 – Taking both games of the doubleheader against Wheaton College on Saturday, the North Central College baseball team completed the four-game season sweep of the Thunder with wins of 11-10 and 8-4 on a blistery afternoon at Zimmerman Stadium.

The opener was a shootout from the start, as Wheaton (11-22, 7-18 CCIW) jumped on Cardinal starter Jason Shanner for four first-inning runs, but Shanner settled down after the opening frame to shut down the Thunder over the next three innings.

The Cardinals (26-6, 20-4 CCIW) offense meanwhile charged back with a vengeance, countering with six runs of its own in the bottom half of the first.  Luke Lehnen led off with an infield single, ahead of Dom Listi who reached on an error which allowed Lehnen to score all the way from first on the play.

With Listi on second, Rob Marinec lined a base hit up the middle to plate Listi, while Justin Rios followed with a single to right center before Kobe Shutter cleared the bases with a double to deep right-center field.  Following a strikeout and a Joe Rizzo single to put runners on first and third with one away, Michael Patterson stepped into a two-run triple to left scoring, scoring Shutter and Rizzo while overtaking the lead for North Central, 6-4 as the team's combined to 10 runs over the first inning of play.

The Cardinals then plated a run in the bottom of the second, two in the fourth and one more in the fifth to take a 10-5 lead, but Wheaton stormed back with a five-run top of the sixth to knot the score at 10.

Heading to the bottom of the eighth with the score still tied 10-10, Marinec singled to left to lead off the inning, before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Rios.  After a groundout to advance Marinec to third, Jared Wojcik drew a two-out walk to put runners on first and third with two outs.  The Cardinals then got creative on the base paths, as Wojcik took off for second and Marinec sprinted for home on the subsequent throw down to second, diving in head first just ahead of the throw back home to score what proved to be the game-winning run.

Marinec led all players with a 4-for-5 showing from the plate with four runs scored and one driven in, while Patterson finished 2-for-4 with two RBI.  Shutter added a pair of RBI, while Lehnen and Listi each scored twice.

Nolan Shannon earned his first collegiate victory after tossing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three while allowing just one hit.  Patrick Schaefer shut down the Thunder in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.

In the nightcap, it was North Central opening the scoring with a four-run bottom of the first, as Lehnen drew a leadoff walk, while Listi was hit by a pitch and Marinec walked to load the bases without a hit.  Rios then came through with a two-RBI double to right, before Wojcik plated another with a sacrifice fly and Rizzo capped the inning with a RBI-base hit to right to give North Central an early 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, the Cardinals added to the lead with three more runs as Lehnen once again started the rally with a leadoff single.  After Lehnen swiped second, Listi promptly plated Lehnen with a RBI-base knock up the middle. 

Following another double off the bat of Rios to put runners on second and third with one out, Michael Davis singled home Listi before Wojcik lofted his second sacrifice fly in as many innings to center, increasing the lead 7-0.

Those seven runs ended up holding up for North Central, as Wheaton cut into the lead with three runs in the top of the third but were held to just one run from that point forward.

Luke Lamm went six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out nine batters and earning the win, improving to a CCIW-leading 8-0 on the season.  Lamm's eight wins this season move him into a tie for third on the program's single-season wins' list, needing just one more victory to tie the single-season record.

After earning the save in game one, Schaefer came on to finish the final three innings of game two, shutting down the Thunder lineup while scattering just a pair of hits while striking out two to earn his second save of the day.  The two saves give Schaefer sole possession of fourth on the program's all-time list.

Offensively, Rios finished a game-high 3-for-5 from the plate with two runs scored and two driven in, while Davis was 2-for-4 with a walk and RBI.  Lehnen added a 1-for-3 showing with two walks and two runs scored, while Rizzo added a pair of hits and Listi scored twice.

North Central continues the current four-game homestand on Wednesday, May 5, hosting Carthage College as the Cardinals go for the four-game season sweep at 3 p.m.