NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan came back from a 4-1 loss to win 17-5 in eight innings to salvage a split at North Central on Saturday, May 8, at Zimmerman Stadium in Naperville, Ill.

The Titans (19-18 overall and 12-8 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) and the Cardinals (30-7, 16-4 CCIW) will meet in a 1 p.m. single game at Horenberger Field on Sunday, May 9. North Central is No. 20 in the national coaches' poll and No. 22 in the latest D3baseball.com poll.

North Central 4, Illinois Wesleyan 1 - Box Score, Game One

Senior second baseman Brett Moore cracked a home run over the leftfield wall to lead off the game for the team's only run in the first game.

In addition to Moore's homer, the Titans got singles from freshman Zach Scott, senior Kraig Ladd, sophomore catcher Mark McDermott and sophomore Kevin Sullivan, whose two-out hit in the sixth was the last in the game against the first-place Cardinals.

Starting pitcher Jason Pankau took the loss, working 3 1/3 innings and surrendering four runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk. He struck out two. Senior lefthander Joe Froelich was effective in relief, pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing four hits with two walks while striking out two.

Illinois Wesleyan 17, North Central 5 - Box Score, Game Two

The Titans, who had 16 hits and five walks, scored two in the first on a two-run homer by senior first baseman Casey McIntosh, six in the third, one in the fifth and seventh, three in the sixth and four more in the eighth on a grand slam home run by Ladd. 

Senior rightfielder Mike Morrissey, who had three hits, hit a pair of solo home runs while junior third baseman Jeff Grodecki, who also had three hits, hit a home run. 

McDermott had three hits while McIntosh and Sullivan each had two hits. 

Brent Kulavic was the winning pitcher as he went six innings and allowed 10 hits, five runs (all earned) and struck out five while walking one. Freshman lefthander Nick Mehn and sophomore lefty Pat Hayn both worked scoreless single innings.