Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Apr. 19, 2025 – After a tight 4-3 victory in game one, the North Central College baseball team beat Concordia University Wisconsin 14-0 in game two of the non-conference doubleheader on Saturday at Zimmerman Stadium.
AJ Kutcher kept the Falcons at bay early on, holding Concordia Wisconsin scoreless over the first four innings. In the fourth, Jackson Bland led off the bottom half of the frame with a walk. Putting runners on the corners, Parker Wyatt singled to left field. Justin Lang drove in the game's first run with an RBI single. Yuhki Yamada plated Wyatt before Vincent Merlo scored Lang on an RBI double to give the Cardinals a 3-0 advantage.
Concordia Wisconsin hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning. North Central responded as Austin Wienke doubled to open the bottom of the frame. He moved to third on a Bland single and scored on a passed ball, putting the Cardinals on top, 4-0.
The Falcons tacked on a run in the sixth and the seventh but Payton Diaz earned his fourth save of the season to secure a 4-3 win for the Cardinals. Kutcher improved to 2-2 this season with a win, throwing 5.1 innings with three strikeouts and no walks. Wienke and Yamada led all batters with two hits each in game one.
Following a 1-2-3 inning from Andrew Bollman, Yamada and Bland each singled to begin the bottom of the first. Wyatt tripled to give North Central a 2-0 lead. John Michael Scumaci hit an RBI double to plate Wyatt. Scumaci advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Sacrifice fly from Merlo.
In the second, Andre Medina and Yamada each reached base to force a Falcon pitching change. Bland welcomed the new hurler with a two-run triple to right field. Wienke scored Bland on an RBI single as North Central took a 7-0 advantage.
Peyton Burgh launched a home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the third inning, tacking on an insurance run for the Cardinals.
Bland, Wienke, and Wyatt each singled to lead off the fourth. Scumaci drove in Bland and Wyatt, giving the Cardinals a double-digit lead, 10-0. With two runners on, Burgh belted his second home run of the game to left field, extending North Central's lead to 13.
Scumaci hit the third home run of the game for North Central in the bottom of the sixth inning. Elijah Hammond kept the Falcons off the scoreboard to give the Cardinals a 14-0 win in seven innings.
Burgh and Scuamci each drove in four runs with Scumaci scoring three times as well. In total, North Central racked up 16 hits in the game. Bollman struck out five in his 5.0 innings of work, not allowing a run.
North Central returns to conference play Tuesday as they visit Augustana College for a 6 p.m. game at Swanson Stadium. The Cardinals beat the Vikings 4-3 at home earlier this season.
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