KENOSHA, Wis. (May 6, 2017) – Completing the season sweep of Carthage College by scores of 3-1 an 11-7 on Saturday, the North Central College baseball team clinched at least a share of their third-consecutive College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season championship, the 13^th in program history.
 
North Central (20-15, 15-8 CCIW) currently holds a one game lead in the CCIW standings over Wheaton College and with a victory over the Thunder on Monday the Cardinals can clinch sole possession of the regular season title and right to host the CCIW Tournament next weekend.
 
The Cardinals fought out a 3-1 win over Carthage in the opener as Austin Polezoes spun a complete game, allowing just one run over his nine innings pitched, scattering seven hits while striking out seven.
 
The two teams traded runs in the third inning, as Colin Weilbacher homered to lead off the top of the frame for North Central, while Carthage answered in the bottom half on a Matt Rave RBI-single to right field.
 
In the top of the fifth, Weilbacher singled to right center with one away, while Adam Nelson singled on the first pitch he saw, advancing Weilbacher to third on the play.  Matt Sutherland followed with a RBI-groundout to second the following batter, but drove home Weilbacher in the process to give North Central a 2-1 lead.
 
The one-run lead proved to be all the run support Polezoes needed, not allowing a runner to advance past second base over his final six innings.
 
North Central added another run in the top of the eighth, as Michael Mateja doubled to lead off the inning and came around to score on single off the bat of Nick Sotiros on the first pitch he saw to increase the lead 3-1.
 
Weilbacher finished 2-for-3 in the opener with a hit by pitch, two runs scored and a RBI to pace the Cardinal offense, while Mateja added a pair of hits and a run scored.
 
The Cardinals led for a majority of game two, but a four-run seventh inning for the Red Men turned the tables to give Carthage a 7-5 lead with just six outs to play.
 
Carthage practically handed the Cardinals the game as four Red Men errors in the top of the eighth led to three unearned runs for North Central, as Sing Fong reached on an error to lead off the inning. 
 
With two on and two outs in the inning, Mateja lined a single through the left side to score Fong, while Jeremy Quade reached on another error to load the bases the following batter.  With a 2-2 count, Sotiros shot a single up the middle to score Mateja and Nelson while taking back the lead in the process 8-7.
 
Increasing the lead even further in the top of the ninth, John Carmody was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and was pinch ran for by Austin Wheatley.  Fong followed with a single up the middle, while the two advanced a base on a wild pitch immediately after.
 
With runners on second and third with no outs, Mike Noesen plated Wheatley and Fong, shooting a double down the right field line to give North Central a 10-7 advantage.  After advancing to third on a throwing error, Noesen trotted home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Nelson to extend the lead 11-7.
 
Nick Rogalski came on to shut the door over the final 1 2/3 innings, earning the victory on the mound in relief of Michael Mallon who received a no decision after allowing three runs on six hits over five innings of work.
 
Noesen finished with a career-game in the nightcap, recording three hits, three RBI and three runs scored, all career highs.  Mateja also finished with three hits, adding two RBI and a run scored, reaching base for the 28^th-consecutive game.  Fong added a 2-for-4 performance with three runs scored, while Sotiros recorded a pair of hits while driving home a pair.
 
With the rest of the CCIW schedule complete, North Central can clinch sole possession of the CCIW title on Monday, hosting Wheaton at 3:30 p.m. at Zimmerman Stadium.  Links to live in-game coverage are available HERE.