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

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Apr. 18, 2015 – The North Central College baseball team rode a pair of stellar pitching performances to complete a doubleheader sweep of Elmhurst College on Saturday afternoon, shutting out the Bluejays, 9-0 in game one before securing a 8-1 win in the nightcap.
 
In the opener, Cardinal starter Ben Krusen tossed a complete game shutout, holding the Elmhurst offense to just three hits over his nine innings pitched, striking out a season-high 11 batters and allowing just two walks to improve to 2-2 on the season.
 
North Central (19-11, 10-4 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) got the scoring started in the top of the third as Joe Paparone roped a two-out homerun to left, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
 
The Cardinals' continued the scoring in the top of the following inning, scraping across a run without a hit in the inning as Jake Rone led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second byBobby Smith the following batter.  After advancing to third on a groundout, Rone came around to score on an Elmurst throwing error to increase the lead 2-0.
 
Rone started the Cardinal rally in the top of the sixth as North Central took a 3-0 advantage, reaching on a bunt single, while Smith followed with a RBI double down the left field line.
 
North Central put the game out of reach in the eighth, plating five runs on four hits after adding another run the previous inning, taking a decisive 9-0 lead.
 
Four Cardinals' finished with multiple hits as Paparone andSam Klein were each 3-for-5 from the plate with two RBI and a run scored.  Rone finished 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored, while Smith added two hits, two RBI and a run scored.
 
In the nightcap, Bryan Polowy followed in Krusen's footsteps, finishing what he started on the mound, allowing just one run over nine innings, striking out eight and walking three.
 
The Cardinals' started the scoring in top of the second, as Paparone lined a lead off triple to right and would come around to score on a RBI groundout off the bat of Rone the following batter.
 
Elmhurst (10-19, 3-11 CCIW) countered with a run in the bottom of the inning as Greg Struck led off the inning with a double and would come around to score on a Mike Rostine single later in the inning, knotting the score 1-1.
 
That tie did not last long as Paparone launched his second homerun of the day over the left field fence, a two-run shot to put the Cardinals ahead 3-1.
 
North Central added a run in the top of the seventh as Smith led off with a single to left and would come around to score on a Bluejay throwing error later in the inning.
 
In the top of the eighth, the Cardinals busted the game wide open with four runs, two runs were unearned while another run scored on a balk, giving North Central a commanding 8-1 lead.
 
Klein increased his hitting streak to 15 games with a 2-for-4 performance in game two with two runs scored.  Smith finished 3-for-4 in the nightcap, with a RBI and run scored, while Paparone and Richard Concialdi each added a pair of hits.
 
The two teams square off again tomorrow in the series finale at Zimmerman Stadium, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.