Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Apr. 22, 2023) - After an offensive explosion in game one,
Dave Fitzpatrick delivered a walk-off single in game two to complete the sweep on Elmhurst University on Saturday at Zimmerman Stadium.
After a hitless top of the first inning from starting pitcher Ryan Behling, John Michael Scumaci tripled to lead off the bottom half of the inning. Dom Listi was hit by a pitch and stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Justin Rios plated both Scumaci and Listi with a single through the right side to give the Cardinals a 2-0 advantage
Luke Lehnen led off the second inning with a single up the middle and worked his way around to third base with a stolen base and a wild pitch. Fitzpatrick launched a two-run home run to left field, putting North Central up 4-0. With Scumaci and Listi on base, Michael Davis produced a double to score Lisit and Scumaci. Jared Wojcik doubled to plate Davis before Cole Gregorio hit an RBI single to left field to score Wojcik. Batting for the second time in the inning, Fitzpatrick singled to bring home Gregorio. Joe Jamilton hit another RBI single to give the Cardinals a 10-0 lead. Completing the 10-run inning, Listi hit a two-run single to score Fitzpatrick and Hamilton.
The Bluejays answered with a run in the top of the third inning. North Central responded in kind as Jack Oberli sent an RBI double down the right field line to bring home Rios.
The Cardinals tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning as Rios tripled down the left field line to plate Listi. Oberli made it back-to-back triples to score Rios. Oberli crossed home plate on a wild pitch as North Central led 16-2 after four innings.
Elmhurst scored five runs over the next three innings to keep the game alive. CJ Jensik came into pitch in the eighth inning and held the Bluejays scoreless to secure a 16-7 victory. Thirteen Cardinals tallied at least one hit in North Central's 21-hit performance. Behling earned the win with six strikeouts over his five innings of work.
Game two saw a pitcher's duel between Luke Lamm and Cole Bozzi as neither team scored in the first seven innings of action. In the top of the seventh, the first two Bluejays reached base and moved bases on a sacrifice bunt. Ryan Trawl bounced a ball to Gregorio at first who made a clutch throw home to Davis who tagged out Trey Romay to hold the Bluejays scoreless.
The Cardinals struck first as Wojcik led off the bottom of the seventh inning. Gregorio belted a two-run home run over the left field fence to give North Central a 2-0 lead.
In the next half inning, Elmhurst scored two runs on two hits with one Cardinals error to knot the game at 2-2. Nolan Shannon entered the game in the eighth and kept Elmhurst to the two runs. He struck out the side in the top of the ninth.
Gregorio singled to open the bottom of the ninth inning. Lehnen moved over AJ Kutcher, who pinch ran for Gregorio on a ground out to third. Fitzpatrick delivered a game-winning RBI single to center field as Kutcher crossed home plate to give the Cardinals a 3-2 win.
Lamm struck out eight batters and allowed just one hit in his seven inning shutout performance. Shannon picked up the win as he improves to 4-0 as he struck out five batters in 1.2 innings. Gregorio, Listi, Fitzpatrick, and Wojcik each tallied two hits with Gregorio driving in two runs.
North Central finishes up the season series with Carroll University on Monday with a 4 p.m. game at Frame Park in Waukesha.
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