Apr. 3, 2019 – With a surge of power coming from an unlikely source, Matt Sutherland's first career homerun, a fourth-inning grand slam, propelled the North Central College baseball team to a 5-2 win over Aurora University on Wednesday in a non-conference showdown at Zimmerman Stadium.

North Central (12-5) struck first with a RBI-single off the bat of John Carmody in the bottom of the first, but the Spartans rallied for a run in each of the second and third to take a 2-1 lead.

With the bases chalked full of Cardinals and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Sutherland stepped to the plate with 440 plate appearances under his belt over his four years in a North Central uniform without a homerun, but all that changed as Sutherland turned on a 1-1 fastball and drove a no-doubter over the left field fence.

That homerun proved to be the final runs of the contest, as Cardinal starter Luke Lamm put up zeroes over his final three innings, while Patrick Schaefer closed out the final three innings without allowing a hit and striking out three.

Lamm improves to 2-0 on the year, allowing two earned on eight hits over his six innings of work, striking out five while walking a pair.

Sutherland's big hit led the offense, while Michael Stoltz finished 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored, and Carmody added a pair of hits and the other RBI.  Jared Wojcik reached base all four times he came to the plate, walking three times while going 1-for-1 with a run scored.

North Central returns to College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play on Saturday, Apr. 6, hosting North Park University with game one of the twin bill scheduled for 12 p.m.