CAROL STREAM, Ill. (Apr. 30, 2021) – Scoring double digit runs in each of the two games against Wheaton College this season, the North Central College baseball team ran away with a 10-1 win on Friday to open the current three-game College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) weekend series.

The Cardinals (24-6, 18-4 CCIW) scored early and often, opening the scoring with a run in the top of the second as Kobe Shutter tripled to lead off the frame and scored two batters later on a Joe Rizzo sacrifice fly.

Adding to the lead the following inning, Michael Stoltz reached on an error and stole second before Luke Lehnen tripled to left center to score Stoltz.  Lehnen's triple was North Central's 22^nd on the season, breaking a 30-year old program record for single-season triples.

With Rob Marinec walking to put runners on first and third with two away, the Cardinals plated another unearned run as Lehnen scored after an error on a failed pick-off attempt of Marinec at first.  After Marinec advanced to second on the play, Shutter made the Thunder pay with a huge two-out single up the middle to score Marinec and give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead.

North Central really broke the game open in the top of the fourth, batting around to plate five runs as Rizzo was hit by a pitch to lead off before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Michael Patterson.  Stoltz promptly sent Rizzo home with a double to left field, before Lehnen followed suit with a double of his own down the left field line to score Stoltz.

Following a Wheaton pitching change, Dom Listi singled to put runners on first and third ahead of Marinec who absolutely crushed a no-doubt, three-run homerun to left, his fourth of the season to increase the lead 9-0.

Ryan Behling meanwhile was dealing on the mound for North Central, allowing just a pair of singles over seven innings pitched with three strikeouts.  Behling improves to 4-0 on the season, lowering his earned run average to 0.82 on the season and has not allowed in a run in four of his eight starts.

The top three batters in the Cardinal lineup finished a combined 11-for-16 (.688) with six RBI and six runs scored, as Lehnen was 4-for-6 with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored and two driven in atop the lineup.

Marinec reached base in all six plate appearances on the evening, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a homerun, double, two walks, four RBI and two runs scored.  Listi added a 3-for-6 showing with a run scored in the two-hole, while Shutter added a pair of hits to go along with a run and RBI.

The Cardinals have now outscored the Thunder, 30-9 over the first two meetings this season, as the two teams finish the series on Saturday, May 1 with a twin bill at Zimmerman Stadium, as game one is slated for 1 p.m.