Apr. 11, 2021 – The North Central College baseball team used three homeruns to increase its winning streak against Elmhurst University to 13-straight games with a doubleheader sweep at Zimmerman Stadium on Sunday by scores of 9-3 and 8-3.
The Cardinals (14-5, 9-3 CCIW) struck first with a run in each of the bottom of the first and second innings, as Dom Listi launched his first homerun over the season, a no-doubter over the scoreboard in right field to take a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, Michael Stoltz plated the second Cardinal run on an infield single with the bases loaded, scoring Jared Wojcik who led off the inning with an infield single of his own, giving North Central an early 2-0 lead.
Jason Shanner was rolling on the mound through five, allowing just one base hit but go into some trouble in the sixth as a pair of hit by pitches, a double and single plated two Elmhurst runs and evened the score 2-2.
The game did not stay tied for long however, as the Cardinals took those runs right back in the bottom of the sixth on RBI-singles from Paul Beverly and Joe Rizzo to re-gain the lead 4-2.
The two teams traded a run in the seventh before the Cardinals put the game out of reach with a four-run bottom of the eighth. Stoltz provided the big hit in the inning, a one-out, two-RBI single to right, before Listi plated another run later in the inning on a double to right field, capping the scoring 9-3.
Shanner improves to 3-1 on the season with the victory, allowing three runs, just two earned, on three hits with six strikeouts. Justin Rios entered with the game in the seventh with runners on second and third and the Cardinals holding a 4-2 lead, allowing just one of the inherited runners to score while shutting down the Bluejay lineup over his 2 2/3 innings to earn his first save.
The Cardinal offense tallied 13 hits in the opener, led by Stoltz's 3-for-4 showing with three RBI and a run scored. Listi finished 2-for-4 with a homerun, double, walk, two RBI and run scored, while Wojcik was also 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Rizzo also added a pair of hits to go along with a walk, run scored and RBI.
It was North Central striking first in game two as well, as Luke Lehnen put a charge into one, connecting on his first collegiate homerun, a two-run shot to left field to take a 2-0 lead after three.
The Bluejays (11-10, 7-8 CCIW) tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, but North Central took those runs back and more in the bottom half of the inning. Rob Marinec walked to lead off the frame, while Wojcik singled and Michael Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bags with one out.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Rizzo plated Marinec, before Luke Gregorio stepped into his first career homerun, a three-run bomb to left to cap a four-run inning for the Cardinals and increase the lead 6-2.
North Central added a couple insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh, as Listi walked and Marinec was hit by a pitch to start the inning. With runners on first and second, Listi scored an unconventional run, sprinting home from second on a wild pitch as the Elmhurst catcher had trouble locating the ball in the dirt. Marinec then scored on a RBI-groundout off the bat of Beverly to increase the lead 8-2.
Patrick Schaefer earned the win in game two, entering in relief in a 2-2 game and allowing just a pair of hits over his 1 2/3 innings. Noah Fischer and Tyler Jones combined to finish out the final 1 2/3 innings to secure the twin bill sweep.
Gregorio's 2-for-4 showing including his first homerun paced the Cardinal offense, while Lehnen drove in a pair with his first homerun and Marinec finished 0-for-1 but walked twice, scored twice and was hit by a pitch.
North Central goes for the three-game sweep over Elmhurst on Monday, Apr. 12 with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. at Butterfield Park.