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Box Score

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Apr. 3, 2015) – Falling behind early, the North Central College baseball team allowed four runs in the bottom of the first inning, eventually falling 8-2 at Illinois Wesleyan University in the opening game of a three-game weekend series.
 
The Titans (14-4, 6-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) jumped on Cardinal starter Ben Krusen for four runs in the bottom of the first on four straight singles, followed by a walk and another single to plate all four runs with one out in the inning.
 
North Central (10-10, 3-3 CCIW) trimmed the lead in half with a run in the top of each the second and third innings as Joe Paparone doubled to lead off the second and would come around to score on a Vito DeRango sacrifice fly to center, whileJake Rone walked to lead off the third and was single home bySam Klein three batters later, cutting the Titan lead 4-2.
 
The Cardinal scoring would stop there as the Illinois Wesleyan pitching staff held North Central to just four hits over the final six innings, as John Munyon earned the victory on the mound for the Titans, allowing just the two earned runs over seven innings pitched, striking out nine and walking one.
 
Krusen falls to 0-2 this season, allowing five earned over his seven innings, giving up 10 hits while striking out six.
 
Klein finished 2-for-4 from the plate with a double and run batted in, while Chris Hill also finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
 
The middle of the Illinois Wesleyan lineup finished a combined 8-for-12 with seven of the eight runs scored on the evening.
 
The two teams square off again tomorrow with game one of the doubleheader slated to begin at 12 p.m. at Zimmerman Stadium.