Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
WAUKESHA, Wis. (Apr. 17, 2024) - Putting together a four-run first inning, the North Central College baseball team never trailed in their 13-4 win over Carroll University, marking the eighth straight win over the Pioneers.
Luke Lehnen led off the game with a double to right field, followed by back-to-back singles from John Michael Scumaci and Jackson Bland to score the first run of the game. With the bases loaded, Dave Fitzpatrick delivered a base clearing double, putting the Cardinals a 4-0 lead.
Carroll pushed an unearned run across in the bottom half of the first and another run on the second to cut their deficit in half, 4-2.
Lehnen, Scumaci and Trey Roach loaded the bases in the fourth inning for Fitzpatrick to hit his second base clearing double, extending North Central's lead to five, 7-2. In the sixth inning, Roach and Fitzpatrick each drew a two-out walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Jack Oberli hit an RBI double to score two more runs. Taylor Kujak stole second base after a walk, allowing Oberli to score from third base, putting the score at 9-2.
The Pioneers added two runs in the seventh inning on four hits. In the ninth, Kolby Fujii walked and Joe Hamilton was hit by a pitch. Lehnen loaded the bases with an infield single. Scumaci drew an RBI hit by pitch and Bland reached on a fielder's choice before Henry Saul plated Lehnen on a sacrifice fly to give North Central a 13-4 win as Anthony Raineri finished off Carroll in the bottom half of the ninth.
Fitzpatrick drove in six runs while Lehnen led the team with four hits and three runs. Elijah Hammond earned his second win of the season by throwing 7.2 innings with five strikeouts and allowing four runs, three earned. Raineri kept the Pioneers off the scoreboard in his 2.1 innings on the mound.
The Cardinals visit Augustana College for a doubleheader on Saturday to continue conference play. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Swanson Stadium in Rock Island, Ill.
Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information
