KENOSHA, Wis. (Apr. 27, 2024) - The North Central College baseball team scored 24 runs on 26 hits, including six home runs in the doubleheader sweep of Carthage College as Luke Lehnen hit for the cycle in game one which also included Trey Roach's go-ahead grand slam before Jack Oberli belted two home runs in the nightcap.

Lehnen sparked the Cardinal offense early by leading off game one with a home run to right field. After John Michael Scumaci walked, a Jackson Bland triple gave North Central their second run. Bland scored on a balk to put the Cardinals on top, 3-0.

The Firebirds battled back to score two runs in the bottom, half of the first. Kolby Fujii led off the second inning with the second home run of the day for North Central to extend the lead to two.

In the third, Roach scored on a Carthage error before Fujii doubled to plate Henry Saul from second base, giving the Cardinals a 6-2 advantage. Again, the Firebirds responded by taking a 7-6 lead with a five-run third frame. Carthage added two insurance runs in the fourth on a two-run home run.

The pitchers settled in after the Firebirds hit a solo shot in the fifth. AJ Kutcher held Carthage scoreless for the rest of his outing. 

Down to their final three outs, Taylor Kujak walked and came around to score on a Lehnen double. Scumaci hit an RBI double to bring the Cardinals within two, 10-8. Bland and Saul reached to load the bases, allowing Roach to launch the go-ahead grand slam over the right center field fence, giving North Central a 12-10 lead in the top of the ninth inning.

Anthony Raineri posted a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to earn the save and secure the wild 12-10 win for the Cardinals. 

Lehnen's cycle is the first for a Cardinal baseball player since Michael Mateja in 2017. Roach drove in five runs on the day while Bland extended his on-base streak to 23. Kutcher threw eight innings, allowing 10 runs (nine earned), but struck out seven batters to pick up the win on the mound.

The Firebirds scored first in game two on a sacrifice fly in the second inning. North Central answered as Lehnen crossed home plate on a Bland single to center field, tying the game at one. Taking the lead, Kujak scored from third on a wild pitch in the fourth inning.

After Oberli singled to lead off the fifth inning, Roach hit his second home run of the day to give North Central a 4-1 edge. 

With Scumaci and Bland reaching base, Oberli hit a three-run home run in the sixth to add to the Cardinal lead, 7-1. Carthage tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly.

In the eighth, Oberli launched his second home run of the day to give the Cardinals a 9-2 lead as Bland scored on the deep ball. Lehnen hit a two-run single to score Saul and Roach later in the eighth as North Central held an 11-2 lead.

The Firebirds hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of the eighth to score their fourth run of the contest. With the bases loaded, Saul drew an RBI hit by pitch. Carthage scored on another sacrifice fly in the ninth but North Central took a 12-5 win in game two to complete the sweep.

Oberli's bat led the Cardinal offense in game two with five RBIs and three runs on four hits. Bland extended his reached base safely streak to 24 while Roach increased his hitting streak to seven games. Brian Duvall pitched 6.1 innings to earn the win, allowing just two runs.

The Cardinals and Firebirds finish the season series tomorrow at Zimmerman Stadium, with a first pitch set for 1 p.m.