Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Apr. 13, 2024 - Wrapping up the season series with league-leading North Park University, the North Central College baseball team dropped a 6-3 game to the Vikings on a windy afternoon at Zimmerman Stadium.
Following a three-up three-down first inning from starter CJ Jensik, the Vikings used four singles and a hit by pitch to push three runs across in the top of the second inning.
The Cardinals responded in the bottom of the second inning. Trey Roach led off with a hit by pitch and came around to score on an RBI double from John Michael Scumaci. Henry Saul singled to right field, moving Scuamci to third base. Joe Hamilton drove him in on an RBI groundout. After two innings of action, North Park held a 3-2 advantage.
Jensik and Bobby Bartlett settled in, not allowing a run for the rest of their time on the mound. With runners on first and third in the seventh, the Vikings attempted to steal second base, but Henry Saul connected with Joe Hamilton to gun down Reese Arakaki, but Nate Sommerfeld scored on the play, putting North Park up, 4-2.
In the eighth, North Park extended their lead to four on an RBI double from Joe Perona. The Cardinal defense leaned on Sual to limit the damage on a pickoff to third base for the first out and another caught stealing later in the inning.
North Central used singles from Roach, Scumaci, and Saul to load the bases, but the Cardinals could not deliver, heading into the ninth inning down 6-2.
Luke Lehnen led off the bottom of the ninth with a single before Kolby Fujii reached on a hit by pitch. Loading the bases, Jackson Bland hit a single to right field. Lehnen scored on a sacrifice fly from Roach. The Vikings worked out of the jam in the ninth to secure a 6-3 win.
Scuamaci and Saul led the Cardinals with three hits each while Bland extended his hitting streak to nine and his on-base streak to 15. Jensik allowed three runs over his five innings pitched, striking out four. Nolan Kind threw four innings, allowing three runs, two earned, over his 17 batters faced.
North Central takes on Carroll University for the first time this season tomorrow evening. The Cardinals look to extend their winning streak over the Pioneers to eight games with a win tomorrow. That game is set for 5 p.m. at Frame Park in Waukesha, Wis.
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