WHITEWATER, Wis. (May 18, 2019) – Staying alive at the NCAA Division III Regional, the North Central College baseball team eliminated Bethany Lutheran College with a 11-4 win behind a career-high 13 strikeouts from Charlie Klemm and some timely hitting from the offense.
 
North Central (32-12) opened the scoring right away in the top of the first, as Jeremy Quade walked, advanced to second on a fielding error, third on a balk and came around to score on a RBI-groundout off the bat of John Carmody to take a 1-0 lead without recording a hit.
 
Bethany Lutheran (23-18) evened the score with a run in the bottom half of the first, before the Cardinals plated two runs in the top of the second on three hit by pitches in the inning, including Matt Sutherland's with the bases loaded while Quade followed with his second walk in as many innings to drive home Jared Wojcik who doubled with one out in the inning.
 
The Vikings once again responded with two runs in the bottom of the third, as Nick Caldeen cranked a two-run homerun to left, evening the score 3-3.
 
By that time the offense exploded for two runs in the top of the fifth and four more in the sixth as Ryan Scottsparked the rally, getting all of a 3-2 pitch, launching a mammoth of a homerun over the left field fence in what proved to be the game-winning hit.
 
In the top of the sixth, Michael Stoltz led off with a bunt single, while Sutherland followed with a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third with nobody out. 
 
Following a strikeout and an intentional walk to Rob Marinec, Carmody came through with a clutch two-run single to center while Rizzo dropped a two-RBI single to right center two batters later, increasing the lead 9-3.
 
North Central took advantage of three Viking errors in the top of the eighth to plate two more, while Klemm hunkered down after allowing his first homerun of the season in the third and posted zeroes over the next four innings, striking out the side in the sixth before the Vikings loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eight to issue a call to the bullpen.
 
The Vikings scored a run on a RBI-single from Brady Schuster, but Tyler Jones struck out Conner Side with runners on second and third to escape further damage in the eighth.
 
After the Bethany Lutheran loaded the bases in the ninth, Nick Rogalski came on to make his career-record 82^ndappearance, inducing fielder's choice to end the ballgame.
 
Klemm improves to 9-0 on the season, allowing four runs, three earned, over his 7.2 innings, striking out a career-best 13 while walking a pair.
 
Stoltz finished 2-for-4 with a run scored from the nine hole, while Rizzo also added a pair of hits and RBI.  Carmody drove in three while Scott drove in two and scored twice.  Quade walked twice and scored twice, while Sutherland was 1-for-3 with a walk, hit by pitch, run scored and RBI.
 
The Cardinals survive and will play the loser of Webster University (Missouri) and host UW-Whitewater later this evening in another elimination game with first pitch at James B. Miller Stadium scheduled for 4 p.m.