MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- On a cold and blustery day North Central found a way through a cloudy start to earn a split with Finlandia University in a non-conference double-header on Monday afternoon. The Rams fell 5-2 in game one but got their offense going to earn a 11-10 win in game two at Wintercrest Park.

North Central (4-17, 1-14 UMAC) jumped out early in their first at bat in game one and appeared to on track to take control. Junior David Babcock (Fresno, Calif./Buchanan) was fortunate after the second pitch of the game came in high and inside, grazing him on the bill of his batting helmet and hitting squarely in the nose. After a delay of nearly 10 minutes the trainer was able to deem him safe to stay in the game and he took his base and moved up on a one out, wild pitch. Sophomore Andrew Eliason (Ypsilanti, Mich./Milan) drew a walk and sophomore Taylor Madrinich (West Bend, Wis./West Bend) then loaded the bases when he reached on an error. Then with two outs freshman Michael Cardinelli (Saginaw, Mich./Arthur Hill) smacked a hard hit single to left that scored a pair of runs to give the Rams a 2-0 lead after one.

Finlandia (Houghton, Mich.) responded by posting three in the top of the second and it would remain 3-2 through four full innings. The Lions got another pair across in the top of the fifth and the Rams stranded a pair in the bottom of the frame and that would prove to be the last of their best chances to forge a rally in the final few innings.

North Central struggled at the plate in game one managing just three hits and eight base runners with six strikouts. Junior Cody Van Sickle (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem)  took the loss but struck out six over seven innings.

In game two the Rams and Lions were silent in the first before an offensive battle started in earnest in the second frame. Finlandia posted a run in the top of the second before the Rams took the lead in their at bat in the bottom of the inning. Cody Van Sickle mashed a one-out home run to straight away left field that got the bats going. Michael Cardinelli walked and then junior Eli Odle (Green Mountain, Iowa/BCLUW) knocked him in with a double to deep left. Sophomore Matthew Juve (Spring Lake Park, Minn./Blaine) followed that up with a RBI double of his own that gave NCU a 3-1 lead through two.

The game remained 3-1 through three innings before the bats got going once again in the fourth. Finlandia posted a two-out rally to plate four runs, taking a 5-3 lead. The Lions lead was short-lived as NCU responded with a four-run rally of their own to retake the lead, this time for good. Cody Van Sickle and Michael Cardinelli both lead off with walks to start the inning and moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice ground out. Then with two-outs Matthew Juve notched his second RBI double of the day driving both runners. David Babcock, who played most of the day with his nose packed from his early brush with an inside pitch, cracked a hard hit RBI double to left center that scored Juve. Babcock was running hard with two outs and freshman Jordan Fair (Boyne City, Mich./Boyne City) delievered a RBI base hit that easily scored the speedy short stop and NCU led 7-5 through four. 

Finlandia was scoreless in the fifth and North Central plated another four runs in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Sidney Grimmett (Beebe, Ark./Beebe) reached on a one out, hit by pitch and moved to third when Matthew Juve reached on an error. David Babcock earned a very patient walk that loaded the bases with two outs. Jordan Fair came through again with a key RBI single that drove in Grimmett and Juve and moved Babcock to third. Fair stole second and Andrew Eliason kept the rally alive with a walk that refilled the bags. Taylor Madrinich then posted a RBI single that scored both Babcock and Fair and gave the Rams an 11-5 lead and that proved to be the decisive volley in the game.

The Lions got things going in the sixth with five runs on three hits and three walks. The Rams could not get anything back in the the bottom of the inning and the Rams needed three outs to earn a win. Jordan Fair struck out the first batter and then a ground out and fly out to short wrapped up the win. Eli Odle earned his first win of the year and Jordan Fair posted the Rams first save of the season.

David Babcock was 2-3 with a double and a walk while Jordan Fair was 2-4 with a pair of RBI doubles. Matthew Juve was a key offensive performer for NCU going 2-3 with 3 RBI in the ninth spot of the batting order.

North Central and Finlandia are back at it again on Tuesday with another double-header at Wintercrest Park. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.