Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Mar. 30, 2025 – Improving to 3-0 in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play, the North Central College baseball team won the game in the bottom of the ninth for the second straight night as
Caleb Coberley drew a bases loaded hit by pitch to score
John Michael Scumaci, defeating Augustana College, 4-3, on Sunday night at Zimmerman Stadium.
The Vikings struck first as three straight singles loaded the bases before a two-run single put the visitors in front, 2-0, after the first inning. Cardinal starter AJ Kutcher settled in, not allowing a run for the rest of his outing.
Frankie Valli drew a walk in the bottom of the fifth inning. He moved to third base on a Kolby Fujii double to right field. Scumaci drove in the first run of the game for North Central on an RBI double to bring the Cardinals within one, 2-1.
Payton Diaz was greeted with a solo shot from Alec McGinnis as Augustana added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Justin Lang led off the bottom half of the frame with a single to left field, forcing a Vikings pitching change. After back-to-back strikeouts, Scumaci belted a line drive home run over the left field fence to tie the contest at 3-3.
Diaz posted a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth before working around two singles in the ninth, thanks to a popped-up bunt from the Vikings, which led to a double play to end the top half of the inning.
Scumaci drew a lead-off walk to begin the bottom half of the ninth inning. Austin Weinke and Henry Saul were each intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs for Coberley. A bender from the Viking hurler caught a piece of Coberley's arm as Scumaci scored the winning run to give North Central a 4-3 victory over Augustana.
Scumaci drove in three runs, scoring twice to pace the Cardinal offense. Kutcher threw six innings, allowing two runs with four strikeouts in his start. Diaz earned his second win, allowing just one run over the game's final three innings. Adam Bendoraitis suffered the loss for the Vikings.
The Cardinals continue CCIW play Wednesday as they conclude the season series with Elmhurst University. North Central visits Butterfield Park for a 3 p.m. first pitch, looking for their seventh straight win over the Bluejays.
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