CHICAGO (Mar. 21, 2023) - In a game where the North Central College baseball team scored the most runs in a single game since 2016, Rob Marinec set a new program record for career hits with 248 in the Cardinals' 21-0 rout of the Illinois Institute of Technology on Tuesday.

After a three-up, three-down top of the first from starting pitcher AJ Kutcher, John Michael Scumaci singled to open the top of the second inning. With a runner on first, Trey Roach belted his first home run of the season to put the Cardinals ahead 2-0.

In the third, Michael Davis also hit his first home run of the year to add another run to North Central's lead. Kutcher held the Scarlet Hawks scoreless through the first three innings of play. 

The Cardinals opened up the game in the fourth inning. Scumaci hit a solo shot over the fence to tack on a run and give North Central a 4-0 advantage. After Roach and Joe Hamilton reached base safely, Dom Listi hit an RBI single to score Roach. Marinec stepped to the plate and launched a three-run home run over the left field fence to extend the Cardinals' lead to eight. The very next batter, Justin Rios, hit North Central's third home run of the inning. In his second at-bat of the fourth, Roach doubled to score Davis from second base as the Cardinals tallied seven runs on six hits. 

Cole Gregorio, Jared Wojcik, and Danny Nuccio all drove in runs in the early parts of the seventh inning for North Central, forcing an Illinois Tech pitching change. Brennan Sweeny, Novak, and Michael Patterson each hit an RBI single. With two runners on, Gregorio hit the Cardinals' sixth home run of the game to complete an 11-run inning and give North Central a 21-0 lead.

Anthony Raineri held the Scarlet Hawks hitless in the bottom of the seventh as the Cardinals win their 11th game of the season, 21-0. Kutcher earned the win on the mound, throwing five innings and allowing just one hit, no runs, and striking out seven. Raineri did not allow a hit in his two innings of work while striking out three. 

Fourteen Cardinals recorded at least one hit on the day with six of them being home runs. Gregorio drove in four runs with Roach and Marinec totaling three RBIs. 

Marinec's home run in the fourth inning gave him the program record for hits in a career with 248. He is also first in career doubles with 54 while ranking second in six different offensive categories.

The Cardinals game scheduled for Wednesday against Webster has been canceled due to the weather forecast. A makeup date will be announced on northcentralcardinals.com when available. North Central's next game will be their home opener as they host Trine University at 10 a.m. before St. Mary's (Minn.) at 3 p.m. It is also senior day with festivities happening prior to the second game.