NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The Elmhurst baseball team opened the CCIW portion of its schedule by dropping a 9-1 contest at North Central College.
 
Elmhurst (6-8, 0-1 CCIW) scored the first run of the game, but North Central (3-6, 1-0) responded with nine straight runs over the next five innings to cruise to the victory.
 
Austin MacMillan's sacrifice fly scored Reagan McReynolds in the top of the first to give Elmhurst an early 1-0 lead, but the lead did not last. North Central used a three-run double from Nick Sotiros in the bottom of the first to go in front 3-1.
 
The Cardinals tacked on two runs in the second, two in the third and one apiece in the fourth and fifth innings to open up a 9-1 cushion en route to the eight-run victory.
 
McReynolds collected two of Elmhurst's three hits in the loss.
 
North Central starter Austin Polezoes limited Elmhurst to just three hits in seven innings of work. Polezoes allowed just one run and two walks while fanning seven. Elmhurst's Ben Havel took the loss, working 3.1 innings and surrendering six hits and seven earned runs while walking six.
 
Elmhurst travels to IIT on Thursday, March 30.