LISLE, Ill (Apr. 24, 2024) - Earning a victory over No.12 Benedictine University for the third straight season, the North Central College baseball team used a five-run fifth inning to propel the Cardinals past the Eagles on Wednesday night at the Benedictine Baseball Field.

Following a scoreless first frame, Yuhki Yamada reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on a Zach Carpita single. Danny Nuccio plated Yamada on a bunt to score the game's first run.

The Eagles knotted the contest at 1-1 in the fourth inning, thanks to a two-out RBI double.

Luke Lehnen, the Cardinals' starting pitcher, doubled to left center in the top of the fifth. After John Michael Scumaci walked, Jackson Bland hit an RBI single to left center to score Lehnen and give North Central a 2-1 lead. Trey Roach belted a double to score both Scumaci and Bland before Taylor Kujak hit a triple to plate Roach. A Yamada single to left field allowed Kujak to cross home plate and put the Cardinals on top, 6-1.

Benedictine used a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth to push their second run of the game across. Lehnen tripled in the sixth and scored on a Scumaci single down the left field line.

A two-run inning in the sixth for the Eagles kept them in the game as a costly Cardinal error plated two unearned runs for Benedictine. North Central led 7-4 after six innings.

Kujak and Yamada reached base safely before a Carpita RBI fielder's choice. With runners on second and third, Lehnen hit a two-run single to center field. Scumaci followed that up with an RBI double to score Lehnen and give the Cardinals an 11-4 advantage in the top of the seventh.

The Eagles led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run. In the bottom of the ninth, Benedictine used a hit by pitch, and a double to plate their sixth run, but Nolan King earned the save to secure the 11-6 win for North Central.

Lehnen, Scumaci, and Roach all tallied three hits and two RBI while Bland extended his on base streak to 21 and his hitting streak to 15. Ryan Gerdes earned his first collegiate win by throwing 4.2 innings of relief with three strikeouts and four runs allowed, just two earned. 

North Central visits Concordia University Chicago tomorrow for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Cougar Field. The Cardinals have won the past two matchups with the Cougars.