LISLE, IL - The Benedictine University baseball team banged out 16 hits but fell to a team that reached the national semifinals last year in just the second home date of the season.


North Central 9, Benedictine 7


• North Central grabbed an early 1-0 lead by scoring with two outs in the top of the first
• Benedictine was quickly able to tie the game in the bottom of the inning
• Jonathan Hodo led off the game with a single and moved up on a wild pitch
• Sam Kerr put Benedictine on the board with a sacrifice fly
• Benedictine led twice in the game, scoring in each of the first three innings
• Two runs scored in the bottom of the second to put Benedictine ahead 3-1 on a two-out, two-run single from Hodo
• North Central tied the game in the top of the third before Benedictine rebounded with a pair in the bottom of the frame
• With two outs, Jack Surin doubled home a run and Kyle Mitter added an RBI bunt single
• The visitors grabbed four runs in the fourth to take the lead, and tacked on a pair in the fifth to lead 9-5
• Benedictine had runners on base in every inning, clawing to within a pair in the eighth on singles from Kerr and Jimmy McLaughlin
• Benedictine placed the tying runs on in the ninth but could not rally to the win
• The game lasted 3:46 and ended a four-game win streak for Benedictine
• North Central is off from conference play this week and threw their 1 and 2 starters in the contest
• North Central reached the World Series last year, falling in a bracket title game to just miss the championship series


• Benedictine used six different pitchers in the contest
• Justin Sosa started and worked two innings
• Alexander Schram took the loss
• Michael Santarelli tossed three scoreless frames and Marty Maves worked the ninth as the bullpen kept North Central off the board for the final four innings
• The teams combined for 29 hits, with a season high 16 coming from Benedictine
• Kerr finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs
• Hodo, Chaffin, Surin, Mitter and D.J. Dillon all tallied two hits as eight players posted hits in the contest


Benedictine (12-5, 4-0 NACC) is scheduled to travel to Rockford on Saturday for a doubleheader in Loves Park, Ill. at Rivets Stadium