Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
KENOSHA, Wis. (Mar. 29, 2026) - Scoring in bunches Sunday at Augie Schmidt Field, the North Central College baseball team matched its season high in runs and completed a series sweep of Carthage College with a 20–6 win, extending its winning streak to eight games.
Yuhki Yamada opened the afternoon with a single up the middle before Jackson Bland launched a two-run homer to center field. Carthage answered with a solo shot in the bottom half and briefly took the lead, pushing across three runs on just one hit in the second.
North Central wasted no time responding. Luke Wallace reached on a hit by pitch and stole second, and Bland followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Caleb Coberley tied the game with an RBI double, and Payton Diaz punched a two-run single up the middle to put the Cardinals back in front. Peyton Burgh added the inning's biggest swing, a two-run homer to right. After a Firebirds pitching change, Yamada dropped down a bunt single to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Jacob Hoernschemeyer, and Caleb Smith drove in another run on a fielder's choice. Yamada capped the eight-run frame by stealing home as Bland took second, giving North Central a 10–4 lead.
Carthage trimmed the deficit with a two-run homer, but the Cardinals kept the pressure on.
Diaz legged out an infield single and Hoernschemeyer followed with a base hit to put runners on the corners. On the next pitch, Hoernschemeyer swiped second, allowing Diaz to score. A two-base wild pitch brought Hoernschemeyer home before Smith connected for his first home run of the season, stretching the lead to 13–6.
In the fifth, Bland and Parker Wyatt singled to start the inning. Diaz added an RBI groundout, Burgh doubled down the left-field line to plate another run, and Smith reached on an error that scored Burgh and Hoernschemeyer to push the margin to 17–6. Starter Jonny Rossi kept the Firebirds hitless in the bottom half.
Yamada and Bland singled in the sixth before Wyatt delivered an RBI single. Diaz followed with a two-run double to center, giving the Cardinals their final total of 20 runs.
Gavin Rosengren worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning before Tyler Pritchard kept Carthage hitless in the seventh to close out the win.
Yamada and Bland each finished with four hits, with Bland scoring three times and driving in three. Diaz drove in five runs, while Smith and Burgh added three RBIs apiece. North Central totaled 20 hits in 40 at-bats. Rossi improved to 2–1, allowing six runs on four hits with four strikeouts over five innings.
North Central resumes College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play Wednesday at Millikin University. The Cardinals won last year's meeting in Decatur, 2–1. First pitch at Workman Family Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.
