Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
KENOSHA, Wis. (Mar. 25, 2025) – Winning their sixth straight game over Carthage College, the North Central College baseball team scored nine runs in three innings to lift the Cardinals past the Firebirds, 11-5, Tuesday afternoon at Augie Schmidt Field in their College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opener.
The Firebirds struck first as a leadoff single led to a two-run home run to put Carthage on top, 2-0 after the first inning. Cardinal starter Brian Duvall settled in, holding the hosts scoreless over the next two innings.
Justin Lang led off the top of the third inning with a double down the right field line. He advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt from Kolby Fujii. Parker Wyatt drew his second walk of the day before stealing second. With runners on second and third, John Michael Scumaci plated North Central's first run on a sacrifice fly. A Jackson Bland RBI single scored Wyatt to even the contest at 2-2. Austin Wienke and Peyton Burgh each reached to load the bases for Henry Saul, who hit a three-run single to put the Cardinals ahead by three, 5-2.
A Firebird error and a Jackson Bland single put runners on the corners in the fourth inning. Wienke stepped to the plate and delivered a two-run double to right field to provide North Central with two insurance runs and push the lead to five, 7-2.
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In the top of the fifth inning, Saul singled up the middle. He moved to second on a Fujii single through the right side. Plating both Saul and Fujii, Wyatt tripled to left center to increase the Cardinal advantage to seven, 9-2.
Carthage hit a solo home run and used a Cardinal error to score three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut their deficit to four, 9-5. North Central put runners on the corners with a Burgh walk and Saul single. A Caleb Coberely RBI single scored Burgh to push the Cardinal lead to five, 10-5.
Entering the game in the eighth out of the bullpen, Elijah Hammond set three consecutive Firebirds down to escape the frame unscathed. The following half inning, Wyatt drew his third walk of the game. He stole both second and third base before scoring on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Bland.
Hammond closed the door in the ninth to secure an 11-5 victory over Carthage. The Cardinals improve to 5-11 overall and 1-0 in CCIW play.
Saul led all players with four hits and three RBI on the day as Bland and Wienke each tallied three hits and two RBI. Wyatt scored three times and stole three bases. Duvall picked up his first win of the season, throwing five innings, allowing five runs with three strikeouts. Payton Diaz and Hammond each threw two scoreless innings to finish the game on the mound.
North Central hosts the University of Chicago Wednesday evening for a 5 p.m. first pitch at Zimmerman Stadium. The Cardinals have won two of the last three against the Maroons.
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