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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Apr. 4, 2015 – After dropping the series opener last night, the North Central College baseball team rebounded nicely with an offensive explosion and a pair of outstanding pitching performances in Saturday's doubleheader, sweeping Illinois Wesleyan University, 9-1 in game one, followed by a 8-1 victory in the nightcap.
 
The Cardinals (12-10, 5-3 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) combined for 30 hits on the twin bill, while Bryan Polowy twirled a complete game in the opener and Jake Ronetossed seven shutout innings in game two to secure the series sweep.
 
North Central jumped on board first in game one, plating three, two-out runs in the bottom half of the third as Sam Cariusstarted the rally with a lead off single to right center field.
 
After Nick Brandt advanced Carius on a sacrifice bunt, Joe Paparone lined a RBI single to right center two batters later, giving North Central a 1-0 lead.
 
On the very next pitch, Chris Hill stepped to the plate and promptly sent one over the left field fence, his second homerun of the season, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 advantage.
 
North Central added to its lead with a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings, as Brandt lined a RBI double to left in the bottom of the fourth and Hill came around to score on a Titan throwing error in the fifth after reaching on a single to left earlier in the inning. 
 
The Titans (14-6, 6-2 CCIW) scored its only run in the top of the fifth, as Derek Idstein scored on a wild pitch as Polowy kept the Illinois Wesleyan offense off balance all afternoon, scattering seven hits over his nine innings pitched, striking out seven and walking two.
 
North Central added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh and three more in the bottom of the eighth, cruising to the 9-1 win in game one.
 
Hill led all batters with a 4-for-5 effort from the plate, with four RBI and three runs scored.  Rone finished 3-for-5, while Brandt, Vito DeRango and Zach Jarosz each added a pair of hits.
 
In game two, the Cardinals struck first yet again as Bobby Smith led off the bottom of the third with a single down the left field line and would come around to score on a Brandt two-out, RBI double to left center.  Sam Klein followed with a two-out, RBI double of his own, scoring Brandt and giving the North Central a 2-0 lead.
 
Increasing the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth, DeRango launched his third homerun of the season over the left field fence, while Smith followed suit with a solo shot of his own, his first of the season.
 
North Central added two more in the bottom of the sixth and two more in the bottom of the seventh, while Rone allowed just five hits over his seven shut out innings, striking out three and walking two, earning the victory and improving to 2-2 on the season.
 
Brandt led all batters with a 3-for-5 effort from the plate, driving in a pair while scoring once.  Smith finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and three runs scored, while Jarosz, Klein and Carius all added two hits each.
 
North Central travels to Millikin University on Wednesday, Apr. 8 with first pitch slated for 3 p.m. at Sunnyside Park.  The link to live in-game statistics is available HERE.