CARBONDALE, Ill. (Feb. 21, 2020) – An eight-run eighth inning catapulted the North Central College baseball team to a 12-2 victory in the season-opener against Blackburn College on Friday at Itchy Jones Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University.

The first run of the season came unconventionally for the Cardinals as Joe Rizzo walked to lead off the inning, proceeded to steal second and came around to score two batters later on a balk to open the scoring.

Starter Austin Polezoes pitched around a first-inning hit by pitch with a 5-4-3 double play and then proceeded to retire nine straight to hold the Beavers hitless through four.

Blackburn (0-1) came alive however in the top of the fifth, stringing together four hits to plate a pair of runs and take a 2-1 lead.

The Cardinals (1-0) took that run right back in the bottom half of the inning, as Michael Stotlz legged out an infield single to lead off the frame and stole second to jumpstart the inning.  Following a pair of flyouts and an intentional walk to Rob Marinec, one of his two on the day, the pair stole second and third before Stoltz sprinted home on a wild pitch to even the score 2-2.

Following a 1-2-3 top of the sixth for Polezoes, the offense came through with two runs as Stoltz drove home the first run on another infield single before Jared Wojcik scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.

Heading to the eighth with a 4-2 lead, the Cardinal offense caught fire to send 12 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs and ending the contest 12-2.  A two-RBI double off the bat of Rizzo and two-RBI singles from Justin Rios and Alex Khatcherian highlighted the inning.

Polezoes earned the victory after going six innings, allowing all four of Blackburn's hits in the one inning, while striking out a pair and walking none.  Joe Kaminski earned the save in his first collegiate appearance, entering the game in the seventh with the score 4-2 and did not allow a hit over his two frames, also striking out a pair.

Rizzo paced the offense going 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI, while Eric Outlaw was 2-for-2 with a walk and two sacrifice bunts.  Stoltz also finished 2-for-3 with two of the nine Cardinal stolen bases on the evening, while Rios also added a pair of hits. 

North Central returns to play at Itchy Jones Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 22, taking on Wilmington College (Ohio) with first-pitch at 1 p.m.