Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324

DECATUR, Ill. (Mar. 31, 2026) - After scoring in the top of the first, the North Central College baseball team dropped a tight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matchup Tuesday night at Workman Family Field, falling to Millikin University, 2-1.

The Cardinals opened with three straight singles from Luke Wallace, Parker Wyatt and Caleb Coberley. Peyton Burgh followed with an RBI single to score Wallace and give North Central a 1-0 lead five batters into the game.

Fresh off a CCIW Pitcher of the Week honor, starter Payton Diaz retired the first six Big Blue hitters. Millikin pulled even in the third, turning a leadoff walk into a run on a double to left.

Both teams produced doubles in the middle innings but came up empty as pitching and defense held through the sixth. Wallace's second single of the night chased the Millikin starter in the seventh, but the Cardinals stranded the runner.

Millikin threatened in the bottom half with a single and a hit batter. A sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position, and Diaz kept the game tied by fielding a chopper and throwing out the runner trying to score.

The Big Blue loaded the bases in the eighth on two singles and a hit by pitch. With two outs, a Cardinal error allowed the go-ahead run to score. Diaz singled in the ninth to give North Central a chance, but Millikin closed it out.

Wallace, Wyatt and Coberley each finished with two hits. Burgh drove in the Cardinals' lone run in the first. Diaz took the loss despite allowing just one earned run and striking out eight in seven innings. Joey Ross earned the win for Millikin, throwing 6 2/3 innings with one run allowed and two strikeouts.

North Central continues CCIW play Saturday, opening a doubleheader against Wheaton College at Pfund Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.