Mar. 28, 2018 – Beginning its quest for a fourth-straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) title, the North Central College baseball team opened conference play with a bang, sweeping Wheaton College by scores of 10-0 and 8-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Zimmerman Stadium.
The Cardinals (6-6, 2-0 CCIW) scored in only three innings in the opener, but plated multiple runs in each frame, including a three-run third and five-run fourth en route to the shortened seven-inning game.
After two scoreless inning to begin the contest, back-to-back walks from Matt Sutherland and Jeremy Quade began the third-inning rally for North Central. After a wild pitch advanced the pair up a base, Eric Outlaw drove in the game's first run with an infield single to shortstop, scoring Sutherland. Michael Matejathen drew the third walk of the inning to load the bases, before John Carmody plated Quade with a RBI-single through the right side, while Colin Weilbacher capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly two batters later.
North Central carried that momentum into the fourth inning, as Outlaw singled to center to begin the scoring, followed by a RBI-double off the bat of Mateja to give the Cardinals a 5-0 lead. Carmody followed with a sacrifice fly, while Weilbacher and Rob Marinec each delivered RBI-base hits later in the frame, extending the lead 8-0.
After going scoreless in the fifth and sixth, North Central walked off with the win in the bottom of the seventh as Outlaw once again delivered, stroking his fourth hit of the game, a two-RBI single to clinch the game one win 10-0.
Outlaw reached in all five at-bats in the opener, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with a walk, four RBI and two runs scored. Mateja extended his reached-base streak to 54 games, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and RBI. Marinec also finished with a pair of hits, while Quade and Sutherland each scored three runs.
Russell Hoh finished what he started on the mound to earn his first victory of the season, scattering five hits in the complete game shutout, striking out four.
The scoring barrage continued into the nightcap, as the Cardinal offense ran Wheaton starter Sam Arnold after just 2/3 of an inning pitched, batting around in the inning while plating five runs to take an early commanding lead.
Quade led off the game with a walk, followed by consecutive singles from Outlaw and Mateja to load the bags with nobody out. Two batters later, Mike Wisz lined a single to right center field, as Outlaw and Mateja both came around to score. Weilbacher followed with a RBI-single to right center, while Joe Rizzodelivered a two-out knock later in the inning, scoring Wisz and Weilbacher to extend the Cardinal lead 5-0.
North Central padded the lead with another run in the bottom of the second, as Outlaw doubled to right center and Mateja countered with a double of his own down the left field line to put the Cardinals up 6-0.
The Thunder (9-8, 0-2 CCIW) got two runs back in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of a Cardinal error that extended the inning to plate a pair of unearned runs, proving to be the only runs of the day the Wheaton offense would generate.
Wheaton handed North Central those runs right back in the bottom of the seventh, as two Thunder errors allowed the Cardinals to increase the lead back to six.
Mateja finished 2-for-5 in game two to increase his reached-base streak yet again to 55 games, while Rizzo finished 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and run scored, while throwing out runners at each base on defense. The freshman backstop threw out potential base stealers at second and third, while picking a runner off of first base in the third inning.
Outlaw finished the nightcap 2-for-5 from the dish with two runs scored, while Wisz and Weilbacher also went 2-for-5 from the plate.
Michael Mallon earned the victory on the mound, allowing just the two unearned runs while striking out four over his five innings of work. Jordan Litke, Anthony Serafini and Nick Rogalski combined to shut out the Thunder offense over the finale four innings.
North Central continues CCIW play with a quick turnaround on Friday, Mar. 30, traveling to Millikin University with game one of the twin bill slated for 1 p.m. at Sunnyside Park.