ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Apr. 5, 2023) - In the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's first ranked matchup since these teams met in 2017, the No. 23 North Central College baseball team used a nine-run fourth inning to beat No. 25 Augustana College, 14-8 on Wednesday night at Swanson Stadium.

After John Michael Scumaci walked, Trey Roach hit a double to put runners in scoring position in the top of the first inning. Justin Rios belted a clutch two-out double to left field as Scumaci and Roach came around to score, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 advantage before starting pitcher AJ Kutcher took the mound.

Kutcher and the North Central defense ended both the bottom of the first and second inning with double plays to keep the Vikings off the board. In the third, Rios and Jared Wojcik put themselves in scoring position as Luke Lehnen hit a two-run single to double the Cardinals lead, 4-0 and force the Vikings to go to the bullpen early on. 

Augustana's first five batters in the bottom of the third reached base as the Vikings scored three runs on one hit and one Cardinal error to bring themselves within one, 4-3.

North Central opened up the game in the fourth inning as Joe Hamilton and Scumaci each singled before Scumaci was hit by a pitch. Both Roach and Michael Davis drew a bases loaded walk to make the score 6-3. Rios drove in a run on a single before Lehnen drew the third bases loaded walk of the inning to add another insurance run. Dave Fitzpatrick and Scumaci each hit an RBI single followed by a sacrifice fly from Roach. In total, the Cardinals scored seven runs on six hits and one Vikings error to put North Central on top, 13-3.

Augustana responded in the bottom half of the fourth with two runs of their own to keep the game within reach. They added another run in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh to bring themselves within five. CJ Jensik entered the game in the seventh and forced a Vikings lineout to keep the score at 13-8.

Jensik held Augustana scoreless in the eighth inning before the Cardinals tacked on another run in the ninth thanks to a Lehnen RBI single that scored Wojcik.

Jason Shanner entered the game in the ninth inning to close the game for North Central. He held the Vikings hitless as North Central won 14-8 over Augustana to claim their first CCIW win of the season and move to 12-7 overall.

Rios and Lehnen each drove in four runs on the night with two hits apiece. Wojcik led all batters with three hits while also scoring two runs. All nine batters scored at least a run for the Cardinals. Kutcher picked up his third win of the season as he threw five innings, allowing five runs and striking out two. Jensik and Shanner each posted scoreless outings on the mound.

North Central hosts Millikin University on Friday for their first home doubleheader of the season. The Cardinals have won 10 of the last 11 against the Big Blue. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m. at Zimmerman Stadium.