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Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. (Mar. 29, 2015) – Struggling to keep the Augustana College offense at bay, the North Central College baseball team dropped the rubber match of the season series, 13-3 on Sunday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.
 
The Vikings (15-4, 2-1 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) jumped on Cardinal pitching to the tune of 16 hits to plate 13 runs in the seven-inning contest, scoring in five of its six offensive innings.
 
North Central (8-9, 1-2 CCIW) jumped out to an early 3-0, first inning lead as Sam Carius led off the game with an infield single and Nick Brandt followed with a single to left that was bobbled by the Viking left fielder, allowing Carius and Brandt to each move up a base.
 
Sam Klein stepped to the plate and promptly sent Carius and Brandt around to score, lining a two-rbi triple to left center, starting the scoring and giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
 
Joe Paparone followed with a rbi groundout to second, capping the Cardinal scoring in the top of the first.
 
Augustana starting pitcher Walter White settled in from that point on, holding the Cardinal offense scoreless the rest of the way, while allowing only four hits in his final six innings to earn
 
The Vikings tied the contest with three runs in the bottom of the second, stringing together four hits in the inning.
 
After one in the third and two more in the fourth, the Vikings opened the game wide open in the bottom half of the fifth, scoring five runs on five hits to take a commanding 11-3 lead.
 
Klein finished 2-for-3 from the plate with two runs batted in and a run scored, while Brandt finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Jake Rone received the loss on the mound, allowing six earned runs over his 3 2/3 innings pitched, striking out six and walking three.
 
North Central returns home on Tuesday, Mar. 31, playing host to Millikin University with game one of the doubleheader slated for 12 p.m.  Links to live in-game statistics and live audio are available HERE.