North Central Splits Final CCIW Doubleheader with Carthage

More news about: North Central (Ill.)

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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

KENOSHA, Wis. (May 2, 2015) – 
The North Central College baseball team split the final College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) twin bill of the season with Carthage College, scoring in all but one inning of the opener to take a 13-8 win, before dropping the nightcap 8-5.

The Cardinals (25-14, 16-5 CCIW) scored in every inning but the second in game one, jumping on the board first with three runs in the top of the first as Sam Carius reached on an error to lead off the contest and Vito DeRango followed with a base hit to right field.

With two on and no outs, Sam Klein stepped to the plate and launched his first homerun of the season down the left field line, clearing the bases and giving North Central an early 3-0 lead.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the third,Richard Concialdi came through with a RBI single to left, scoring Klein and increasing the lead 4-0, while Joe Paparone was thrown out at home attempting to score from second.

North Central continued to pour on the runs, as DeRango and Klein each delivered RBI singles in the top of the fourth, andSing Fong got in on the scoring with a RBI single to right in the fifth.

After a Carthage pitching change to start the sixth, Carius and Klein each reached and with one out in the inning, Paparone smashed his sixth homerun of the season, a three-run shot down the left field line, increasing the Cardinal lead 10-0.

Sam Carius sent his first homerun of the season sailing over the left field fence in the top of the seventh, while North Centeral added a run in each of the eighth and ninth as well.

Cardinal starter Bryan Polowy overpowered the Carthage lineup on the mound, leaving with a 10-0 lead after six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out seven and walking none.  Polowy has now given up just eight earned runs all season over 67 1/3 innings pitched, improving to 7-1 with a minuscule 1.07 earned run average.

The Cardinal bullpen combined to allow eight earned runs over the final three innings, but the Cardinal lead was too much to overcome for the Red Men (25-11, 12-9 CCIW) offense in the end.

Klein led all batters with a 4-for-5 performance from the plate in game one, adding five RBI and three runs scored.  Bobby Smith was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while DeRango finished 3-for-6 with three runs scored.

In the nightcap, the Cardinals sparked a two-out rally in the top of the third to take an early 1-0 lead as Carius drew a walk, followed by a DeRango single and another walk from Klein loaded the bases.  Paparone stepped to the plate and dribbled an infield single to the shortstop, plating Carius.

North Central increases its lead 2-0, scraping together a run in the top of the fourth as Smith singled up the middle to start the inning.  After stealing second and taking third on a groundout, Smith came around to score on a RBI groundout to shortstop off the bat of Fong.

Carthage quickly knotted the score the following half inning, as Jared Helmich launched the first of his three homeruns in game two, this a two-run shot to left, tying the score 2-2.

After North Central took the lead right back with two runs in the top of the fifth on a RBI double from Klein and a RBI groundout off the bat of Paparone, Carthage responded with a four spot in the bottom of the inning as Helmich struck again, this time a three-run shot to left to give the Red Men a 6-4 advantage.

The Red Men added a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings, as Helmich capped his afternoon with a solo homerun to left, falling a grand slam short of the homerun cycle.

Evan Blunk was credited with the loss on the mound, allowing seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits over six innings while striking out a pair.

DeRango finished 3-for-4 from the dish in game two, while Carius was 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored.  Fong and Paparone each added two hits in the nightcap as well.

Helmich led all batters going 3-for-4 with three homeruns and six RBI, while eight of the nine Carthage batters finished with a hit.

North Central will close out the regular season on Tuesday, May 5, traveling to Wisconsin Lutheran College at 3 p.m., before hosting the CCIW Tournament, May 7-9.