Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
CAROL STREAM, Ill. (Mar. 20, 2026) - The North Central College pitching staff held Calvin University hitless in the final five innings of the game as the stellar effort on the mound propelled the Cardinals to a 6-1 victory Friday night at Pfund Stadium.
After a scoreless first, Camden Loomis recorded two punchouts in a 1-2-3 inning. Peyton Burgh reached on a Knights error. He moved to second on a wild pitch. On a Jacob Hoernschemeyer walk, Burgh advanced to third on another wild pitch. An RBI groundout from Caleb Smith put the Cardinals on the board. Yuhki Yamada took advantage of another Calvin error to score Hoernschemeyer as North Central gained a 2-0 lead.
Loomis posted another three-up, three-down top of the third. The Knights pushed their first run of the game across in the fourth, thanks to a leadoff double. Loomis limited the damage as Jackson Bland made a great running grab on the first base line to keep the Knights at the lone run.
North Central answered as Hoernschemeyer reached on another Knights' error. Caleb Smith tallied the first Cardinal hit of the day on a double to center field. A Luke Wallace RBI groundout plated Hoernschemeyer before Bland drove in Smith on an RBI single as the Cardinals jumped out to a 4-1 lead.
Loomis held the Knights without a hit in the fifth inning. Payton Diaz snuck a single through the right side. A Peyton Burgh triple plated Diaz to increase the hosts' lead to four, 5-1.
In the sixth, a leadoff walk forced Ed Mathey to trust the bullpen for the remainder of the game. Ben Nuhich walked a pair of batters to load the bases. Brian Kud relieved Muhich, hoping to limit the damage. Kud did just that, striking out the first batter he faced before a pop-up, and another strikeout to keep Calvin off the scoreboard in the sixth.
Bland hit a triple down the left field line, and a Parker Wyatt sacrifice fly to deep center field added a run for the Cardinals, who took a 6-1 advantage.
Brian Duvall entered the game on the mound for North Central in the seventh. He posted a 1-2-3 inning. In the eighth and ninth, Duvall kept Calvin hitless to secure the three-inning save, giving the Cardinals a 6-1 victory.
Loomis improved to 2-0 on the season with four strikeouts and just one run allowed over his five innings of work. Kud threw an inning without allowing a hit while Duvall recorded two strikeouts in three innings on the mound. Bland led North Central with two hits and joined Burgh and Smith as batters to score a run and drive in a run in the game for the Cardinals.
North Central completes the three-game series with Calvin Saturday for a doubleheader at Zimmerman Stadium. Before game one, the Cardinals will honor their senior class for their hard work and dedication to the program, with a ceremony beginning around 11:30 a.m.
