COON RAPIDS, Minn.-- North Central fell behind early but rallied late to force extra innings in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference game on Friday afternoon. But the Rams late push was cut short by Crown College in a 10-6 loss in ten innings at Wintercrest Park.

North Central found themselves down 6-1 after six innings at home on Friday. With the game slipping away the Rams got back in the game with four runs in the seventh to get within 6-5. The seventh inning surge began with a leadoff single from freshman Sydney Grimmett (Beebe, Ark./Beebe). Then Freshman David Babcock (Fresno, Calif./Buchanan) and sophomore Cody Van Sickle (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) each were hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a fielders choice force out at home, freshman Taylor Madrinich (West Bend, Wis./West Bend) knocked in a run with a sacrifice to right field. Freshman Jordan Hemmesch (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases again and freshman David Treadwell (Dickinson, Texas/Bay Area) blasted an RBI double to center that scored all three runners to complete the scoring.

After Crown was retired in order in their part of the eighth, NCU came to the plate and tied the game. A one-out single from Sydney Grimmett got things started for the Rams and after a pair of walks that loaded the bases, sophomore Will Rosevear (Canton, Mich./Homeschool) hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored the runner from third to tie it up at 6-6.

NCU sent the Storm down in order again in the ninth but also went quietly in the bottom half to push the game into extra innings. After a pair of routine grounders retired the first two Crown batters in the tenth, a single and a stolen base began the decisive rally for the Storm. A throwing error allowed a run to score and kept the inning alive for Crown who posted three more unearned runs in the inning. North Central did not have a response in the bottom of the inning.

Sidney Grimmett was 3-5 on the day from the nine spot while Will Rosevear was 2-3 with an RBI and a walk. Matthew Treadwell who threw all ten innings for NCU on the mound was 1-4 at the plate with a triple and three RBI. Seven of the ten Crown runs were unearned.

North Central and Crown will meet up again on Saturday in a double-header scheduled for a Noon first pitch at Wintercrest Park.