FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

CHICAGO, Ill. (Apr. 27, 2015) – The North Central College baseball team is just one win away from securing the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season championship after defeating North Park University, 6-3 on Monday evening, completing the season sweep of the Vikings.
 
With a win next weekend in the three-game series against Carthage College, the Cardinals can clinch its first CCIW Championship since 2010 and would host the conference tournament the following weekend.
 
The Cardinals recorded a season-high 11 stolen bases, finishing a perfect 11-for-11 on the evening.
 
North Central struck first with three, two-out runs in the top of the first as Vito DeRango came around to score on a Jake Rone infield single after reaching on a walk earlier in the inning.  After Sam Klein advanced to third on Rone's single, the pair successfully pulled off a double steal, increasing the Cardinal lead 2-0, while Bobby Smith capped the scoring in the inning with a RBI single to center, scoring Rone.
 
After North Park (16-20, 5-13 CCIW) countered with a run in the bottom of the second, North Central (23-12, 14-4 CCIW) responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 5-1 advantage.
 
DeRango led off the top of the fifth with a walk and proceeded to steal second after a pair of flyouts.  After Rone reached via infield single and stole second, Smith once again stepped to the plate and lined a single to the shortstop, scoring the DeRango and Rone.
 
DeRango added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, while the Vikings rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Jordan Van Dyck shut the door, striking out the only batter he faced to earn his second save of the season after entering the contest with the tying run at the plate. 
 
Rone led all batters finishing 4-for-5 from the plate with two runs scored, a RBI and four stolen bases.  Smith added a 3-for-5 performance with three RBI and a stolen base.  Sam Carius added a pair of hits to go along with two stolen bases, while DeRango was 1-for-3 from the dish with two runs scored, two stolen bases, a RBI and a walk.
 
Klein's 18-game hitting streak was snapped with an 0-for-4 showing from the plate, but Klein did draw a walk, stole a bag and scored once.
 
Evan Blunk earned the victory on the mound, improving to 3-2 this season, allowing just one earned run over five innings pitches, striking out three and walking four.
 
North Central travels to Schaumburg, Ill. on Wednesday, Apr. 29, taking on Dominican University at Boomer Stadium with first pitch slated for 5 p.m.