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Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Mar. 31, 2015 – Combining for 29 hits over the afternoon, the North Central College baseball team turned in a doubleheader sweep over Millikin University on Tuesday, hanging on to win the opener 6-4, before cruising to a 12-2 victory in game two.
 
The Big Blue (9-10, 1-4 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) jumped on the board first in game one, plating a run in the top of the third on a Brian Ekiss single to right field.
 
Millikin's lead did not last long as North Central evened the score in the bottom of the inning, as Jake Rone led off with a triple in the left center gap and Sam Carius followed with an infield single, plating Rone and knotting the score 1-1.
 
The Cardinals carried the momentum into the bottom of the fourth as Joe Paparone started therally, crushing a leadoff homerun to left center field.  After Chris Hill followed with a single through the left side, Richard Concialdi lined a one-out double down the left field line. 
 
After a Bobby Smith walk loaded the bases, Rone drove in Hill on a sacrifice fly to left and Carius promptly followed with a RBI single to left, scoring Concialdi and giving the Cardinals a 4-1 lead.
 
North Central added a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings, as Vito DeRango drove his second homerun of the season, a solo shot, over the left field fence in the sixth, while also lining an RBI single up the middle in the seventh to increase the lead 6-1.
 
Giving up just the one run in the top of the third, Cardinal starter Evan Blunk shut down the Big Blue bats over the next four innings, but found himself in a little trouble in the eighth.  After allowing three earned runs to score, Millikin quickly closed the gap 6-4, but Blunk was bailed out by Jordan Van Dyck, closing the door over the final 1 1/3 innings to earn his first save of the season.
 
Blunk improved to 2-1 this season, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, striking out five and walking none.
 
All nine batters finished with a hit in game one as Carius finished 3-for-5 from the plate with two runs batted in, while DeRango was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.  Hill and Concialdi also each added a pair of hits and a run scored.
 
The nightcap began much like game one as Millikin jumped on board first, plating a run in the top of the second, but North Central responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning on a Carius RBI single to left center.
 
Millikin claimed the lead right back in the top of the fourth, plating an unearned run to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The Big Blue lead did not last long yet again as North Central busted the game open with a six-run bottom of the fourth.
 
Already scoring one run in the innings on a Nick Brandt RBI double to right center, the Cardinals had the bases loaded and two outs as Hill lined a fly ball to left center that was dropped by the Millikin left fielder, allowing all three runs to score and extending the inning.
 
DeRango took advantage of the extra out, quickly doubling home Hill pulling an RBI double down the left field line, giving North Central a 7-2 lead.
 
The Cardinals added a run in the bottom of the seventh and ended the game with four runs in the bottom of the eighth.
 
DeRango led the Cardinal offense in game two, finishing 3-for-5 from the dish with three RBI and a run scored.  Brandt also finished 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, adding two runs scored and a run driven in.  Smith, Rone and Zach Jarosz also finished with two hits apiece in the nightcap.
 
Andrew Houser earned his first victory of the season on the mound, allowing just one earned run over his six innings of work, striking out five while walking three.  Jake Staab andRussell Hoh each tossed a hitless inning to close the door late.
 
North Central travels to Illinois Wesleyan University on Friday, Apr. 3 with first pitch slated for 5 p.m. at Horenberger Field.  The link to live in-game statistics is available HERE.