Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Apr. 9, 2022) - Sweeping their doubleheader against Wheaton College, the North Central College baseball team cruised to a 16-6 win in game one before earning a 6-3 victory in game two to win their 10th consecutive game and remain perfect in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play.
Following a three-up and three-down first inning from starter Charlie Klemm, Dom Listi sent a shot over the right-field fence with runners on first and second to put the Cardinals on top, 3-0. Jared Wojcik doubled and came around to score on a Justin Rios RBI single. Rios scored after Michael Davis singled through the right side, finishing off the five run inning for North Central.
Klemm kept the Thunder in check in the top half of the second inning. Forcing the Wheaton starter out of the game after the Cardinals loaded the bases. Paul Beverly welcomed the new Thunder pitcher to a three-run double to center field, pushing the Cardinals' lead to 8-0. Beverly scored later in the inning to increase the lead to nine.
Wheaton responded with three runs in the top of the third inning on four hits. North Central came back with a run of their own as Michael Patterson scored thanks to a Thunder error.
In the fifth, North Central added when Listi hit his second home run of the game, this time a solo shot to right field. Wheaton closed the gap in the top half of the sixth with three more runs, making the score 11-6.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth to end the game early via the 10-run rule and secure a 16-6 win over Wheaton. Klemm earned his fourth win of the season with nine strikeouts over his six innings pitched. Listi scored four runs on the day and drove in four runs on three hits and a walk.
Game two saw neither team score through the first three innings of play. The Thunder took an early lead after two runs on two hits in the top of the fourth. North Central answered with two runs of their own to tie the game as Brad Novak hit an RBI single up the middle before Danny Nuccio used a sacrifice fly to plate Rios.
John Petty led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to right field. Listi moved him to second on a single, allowing Beverly to bring both around to score on a double to right center. Wojcik plated Beverly on a double, giving the Cardinals a 5-2 lead after five innings of play.
Nuccio added an insurance run for the Cardinals in the bottom of the eighth inning as he scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Luke Lehnen. Wheaton scored a run in the ninth but it wasn't enough as Jason Shanner held on for his fourth save of the year.
Starter Luke Lamm earned the win as he threw seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out seven. Beverly scored and drove in two runs for the Cardinals in his three at bats. Petty led both teams with two hits in game two.
The Cardinals head north to take on Carroll University (11-13, 4-2 CCIW) tomorrow afternoon. The single game is set for 1 PM at Frame Park in Waukesha, Wis. You can find links to live stats HERE.
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