Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Apr. 28, 2022) - Playing in the first-ever night game at Zimmerman Stadium, the North Central College baseball team scored 10 unanswered runs over the final four innings to beat the University of Chicago, 14-11 on Thursday night.
The Maroons got on the board first as they scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Responding quickly, Luke Lehnen singled up the middle and scored on the next at bat as Dom Listi hit an RBI double to tie the game. Rob Marinec singled to third base, allowing Listi to score and give North Central a 2-1 advantage. Adding to their lead, Marinec came home on a sacrifice fly from Trey Roach and Paul Beverly scored on a Maroon error, to put the Cardinals ahead, 4-1.
Both starting pitchers settled in and kept their opposition scoreless until the fifth inning. Chicago took advantage of a Cardinal error and tallied five hits to score four runs and take a 5-4 lead. In the top of the sixth, the Maroons added six more runs on four hits and another North Central error, giving themselves an 11-4 lead.
Not going away, Beverly hit an RBI double to plate Marinec and Listi to cut into the Maroon lead. Beverly later scored on a wild pitch to bring the Cardinals within four, 11-7.
Pitcher Robert Deischer kept the Maroons in check before North Central put together another big inning. After back-to-back walks, Beverly drove in Listi with a single to left field. Jared Wojcik drew a walk to load the bases for Roach who plated Marinec on a fielder's choice. Justin Rios followed that up with an RBI double to center field to knot the contest at 11. Quickly breaking that tie was Brent Swenson who scored Rios on a single through the left side.
Tacking on a few insurance runs, Lehnen walked, and Listi was hit by a pitch before Beverly singled to plate Lehnen. Listi came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Roach to give the Cardinals a 14-11 lead. CJ Jensik came in to close out the game and earned his first save of the season.
Deischer picked up his third win of the season as he threw allowed zero runs over his 2.1 innings pitched. Beverly drove in a team-high four runs and scored three runs while Listi scored four runs in the game. Eight different Cardinals recorded hits on the day.
North Central returns to CCIW action on Sunday as they host Elmhurst University on Alumni Day. The game is set to begin at 1 PM at Zimmerman Stadium.
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