MOLINE, Ill. (Apr. 26, 2019) – Extending their College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) win streak to 13 games, records fell for the North Central College baseball team in Friday's doubleheader sweep of Augustana at Swanson Stadium.
 
Jeremy Quade's three total runs scored over the twin bill increase his career total to 181, breaking Ken Ritter's '88 record that stood for nearly 31 years.  Quade also set a new program record playing in his 168th career game, as the senior has not missed a game in his four-year career as a Cardinal.  On the mound, Nick Rogalski recorded the final out of game one, marking his 76^th career appearance, breaking Derek Elftmann's '02 previous record set in 2002.
 
Augustana (22-11, 11-7 CCIW) got on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the second of game one, but starter Austin Polezoes buckled down to shut down the Vikings lineup, allowing just two hits the rest of the way.
 
The offense meanwhile exploded to the tune of 13 unanswered runs, scoring in each of the final five innings, beginning with a run in the top of the third as Matt Sutherland doubled to lead off the frame.  After advancing to third on a groundout, Rob Marinec drove Sutherland home with a RBI-infield single to shortstop, cutting the lead 2-1.
 
Seven Augustana errors in game one aided in the offensive output for North Central (25-8, 15-3 CCIW), as a pair in the top of the fourth led to four North Central runs as Justin Rios scored on a throwing error while Sutherland and Marinec once again delivered with RBI-base hits, Marinec's a two-run single to center to overtake the lead 5-2.
 
In the top of the fifth, Joe Rizzo walked to lead off the inning and came around to score on a Michael Stoltz RBI-single two batters later, while Sutherland delivered his second double of the game to score Stoltz.
 
Two more Viking errors in the top of the sixth and another in the seventh led to six more runs for North Central, ending the opener after seven innings 13-2.
 
Sutherland paced the offense with a 3-for-4 performance from the plate with a walk, two runs scored and two driven in, while Marinec finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored.  Stoltz added a 2-for-4 performance from the nine hole with a pair of runs scored and RBI, while Quade, Colin Weilbacher and Jared Wojcik all scored twice.
 
Polezoes improves to 4-2 on the season with the victory, allowing two runs, only one earned, over his 6 2/3 innings, striking out six while allowing just one walk.
 
The nightcap began just like the opener with Augustana taking an early 1-0 lead after the first inning on a pair of singles, but Charlie Klemm and company were spectacular the rest of the way, holding the Vikings hitless over the final eight innings while striking out 14 batters in the process.
 
The offense overtook the lead in the top of the fourth, generating a little two-out magic as Marinec was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  Following a single from Rizzo to put runners on first and second with two gone, Ryan Scottand Wojcik each delivered RBI-singles in what proved to be the turning point.
 
The Cardinals generated another run in the top of the fifth as Quade legged out an infield single, advanced to second on a balk, third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Marinec to extend the lead 3-1.
 
The Viking offense meanwhile went silent as Klemm, Patrick Schaefer and Rios combined to not allow a base-runner past the fourth inning.  Klemm worked six innings of two-hit ball, allowing just the first-inning run, while striking out 11 to only one walk, improving to 6-0 on the season.  Schaefer faced the minimum over his two innings while Rios struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to earn his third save of the season.
 
Quade and Rizzo each finished 2-for-4 with a run in the nightcap, while Wojcik added a pair of hits and a RBI.  Marinec finished 1-for-2 with a double, sacrifice fly, hit by pitch, run scored and RBI, while Scott and Stoltz both drove in a run.
 
North Central now holds a four-game lead atop the CCIW standings with six games remaining, as the two teams finish up the season series on Sunday, Apr. 28 with first pitch at Zimmerman Stadium scheduled for 1 p.m.