Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (May 2, 2023) - Playing their final home game of the regular season, the North Central College baseball team could not cool off the hot bats of Webster University as the Gorloks beat the Cardinals, 17-4 on Tuesday night at Zimmerman Stadium.
Webster used four hits to take a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first inning. John Michael Scumaci led off the Cardinals' half of the inning with a single through the left side. After he moved to second base on a wild pitch, Dom Listi hit an RBI single to plate Scumaci and bring the score to 2-1.
The Gorloks added two more runs in the second on a two-run home run by Parker Wielt. Luke Lehnen singled to right field and made his way to third base on two wild pitches, but was ultimately left stranded as North Central could not bring him home.
Jared Wojcik reached on a fielder's choice and stole second base in the bottom of the fourth inning to put himself in scoring position. Lehnen drove him in on an RBI triple to right field, his third of the season. Webster tacked on another run in the fifth on an RBI single, setting the score at 5-2.
The first four Gorlok batters of the sixth inning reached base as they added two insurance runs on two hits to force Jason Shanner out of the game.
The Cardinals fought back in the bottom half of the sixth as Dave Fitzpatrick singled before Danny Nuccio sparked a two-out rally with an RBI double. Joe Hamilton singled to center field to plate Nuccio and bring North Central within three, 7-4.
Webster opened up the game in the seventh as they used three hits, two North Central errors to score three runs and make the score 10-4. Following a scoreless half-inning from the Cardinals, Webster tallied seven runs on five hits in the top of the eighth to put the game out of reach. North Central went down in order as Webster earned a 17-4 win.
Listi, Rios, and Lehnen recorded two hits as Nuccio scored and drove in a run for the game. Shanner suffered his first loss of the season as he went 5.0 innings with seven runs and five strikeouts.
North Central returns to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play on Friday by taking on North Park University. The game is set for 3 p.m. at Holmgren Athletic Complex in Chicago.
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