Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Apr. 8, 2025) – Scoring three runs in the 10th inning, the North Central College baseball team improved to 6-2 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin with a 6-5 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University Tuesday evening at Horenberger Field.

Cardinal starter Brian Duvall held the Titans in check early on. Breaking a scoreless tie in the third inning, Austin Weinke used a two-run single to score Kolby Fujii and Peyton Burgh. With Jackson Bland on third, Henry Saul delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. 

Illinois Wesleyan pushed their first run across in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting the North Central advantage to two, 3-1. Both starters settled back in, not allowing another run for the rest of their outings.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Titans used a double and an RBI single to bring themselves within a run, 3-2. Following suit in the ninth, a leadoff walk for Illinois Wesleyan turned into a run on an RBI double to send the game into extra innings.

John Michael Scumaci led off the 10th inning with a double to left field. Saul and Caleb Coberley each walked to load the bases for the Cardinals. Parker Wyatt drove in two runs with a single to left field, putting North Central up by two, 5-3. Following a Justin Lang walk, Yuhki Yamada tacked on a needed insurance run on a fielder's choice as Coberley scored.

Back-to-back doubles for the Titans scored a run in the bottom of the 10th inning. Cardinal pitcher Payton Diaz recorded two quick outs before another Illinois Wesleyan double cut the lead to one. Diaz forced a ground out to Weinke at first base to secure the 6-5 win for North Central.

Weinke and Wyatt each drove in a pair of runs to lead the Cardinal offense. Duvall threw seven innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out four. Diaz picked up his third win of the season for North Central. Luke Schwab suffered the loss for the Titans, allowing three runs in 0.1 innings of work.

The Cardinals' next game against Benedictine University has been pushed back to a 3 p.m. first pitch on Friday, still at Zimmerman Stadium.

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