Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Feb. 25, 2024) - Capturing their first win of the season, the North Central College baseball team used an 8-run fifth inning to earn an 18-14 victory over Franklin College on Sunday at Stauffer Field.
After a scoreless first half inning from Andrew Bollman, Frankie Valli walked and stole second to put himself into scoring position. Luke Lehnen pushed him to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Grizzlies error. Trey Roach came around to score on a Dave Fitzpatrick double as the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead after one inning of play.
Franklin evened the score on a two-run double in the top of the second. North Central responded with a big inning as Joe Hamilton scored thanks to a Vallie RBI double. Hamilton scored on a passed ball before Valli and Lehnen each scored on a Fitzpatrick two-run single. Fitzpatrick crossed home plate on a Jackson Bland double to left field, giving the Cardinals a 6-2 advantage after two innings.
In the fourth, the Grizzlies tacked on three runs on two hits to come within one run of North Central. Again the Cardinals answered in a big way. Bland hit the first home run of his young career before Danny Nuccio belted the second long ball of the inning on a three-run home run to plate Taylor Kujak and Caleb Coberley.
Franklin put together a big inning of their own to even the contest at 10-10 thanks to five runs, including a home run of their own.
After Roach, Bland, and Kujak reached to load the bases, Coberley doubled to add two runs to the scoreboard for the Cardinals. Nuccio followed that up with a two-run single and later scored on a passed ball to make the score 15-10. With the bases loaded, Roach doubles to clear the bases and extend the North Central lead to eight, 18-10.
The Grizzlies hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth before both pitchers settled in. Ryan Gerdes went three-up, three-down in the seventh. Franklin added three runs in the eighth as they took advantage of a North Central error to bring the score to 18-14.
Lehnen came in to pitch the ninth inning and secured the Cardinal victory, 18-14.
Nuccio led all players with five RBI while Valli scored three times. Nuccio, Bland, Coberley, and Fitzpatrick all tallied two hits and at least two RBI. Andrew Bollman claimed the win as he went three innings allowing just two runs while striking out two.
On Friday, the Cardinals head to Louisville, Ky. to take on Spalding University in game one of the Derby City Classic. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. (ET) at Derby City Field.
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