Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Apr. 19, 2023) - Winning their fifth straight game, the North Central College baseball team scored nine runs in the first three innings to earn a 10-1 win over local rival Benedictine University on a stormy Wednesday night at Zimmerman Stadium.
John Michael Scumaci and Dom Listi singled to begin the bottom of the first inning before Michael Davis loaded the bases with a hit by pitch. Driving in the game's first run, Justin Rios plated Scumaci with a sacrifice fly. Listi tacked on another run on a wild pitch to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead early on.
After a three up, three down inning from starting pitcher AJ Kutcher, Rios hit a three-run double to left center field as Dave Fitzpatrick, Joe Hamilton, and Listi came around to score. Rios scored on a wild pitch before Cole Gregorio singled through the left side to plate Jared Wojcik. After just two innings of play, North Central held a 7-0 lead.
In the third, Hamilton led off with a hit by pitch. Scumaci launched a two-run home run over the left field fence as the Cardinals took a 9-0 lead after just three innings of play.
North Central added another run in the fourth as Gregorio walked to begin the inning. Fitzpatrick doubled down the left field line to put Gregorio in scoring position. Hamilton earned a sacrifice fly to give North Central a 10-0 advantage.
Kutche's day ended after five innings of shutout baseball. He struck out four with no runs and allowed just four hits in his 20 batters faced. The Eagles added an unearned run in the sixth.
The Cardinals threatened again in the seventh as Scumaci singled and advanced to second on a Benedictine error. Davis singled through the left side, but Scumaci was gunned down at the plate to end the inning. Nolan Shannon and Michael Patterson kept the Eagles scoreless over the final two innings as North Central earned a 10-1 victory over Benedictine.
Kutcher picked up the win to move to 5-0 on the year. Rios drove in four runs on two hits with Scumaci and Davis each tallying three hits. Listi, Scumaci and Hamilton scored twice for the Cardinals/
North Central returns to CCIW play on Saturday as they host Elmhurst University for a doubleheader at Zimmerman Stadium, beginning at 1 p.m.
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