MINNEAPOLIS-- Rams Baseball got their second win of the season on Saturday but split a Saturday afternoon non-conference, double-header with Crown College. The Rams took game one 3-2 but fell 9-3 second game.

North Central (2-17, 0-2 UMAC) got a strong outting from senior pitcher Cody Van Sickle (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) and timely hitting to post a victory in game one. After a scoreless first inning, NCU took the lead in the bottom of the second frame.

Freshman Tate Andrews (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids) led off with an infield single and moved to third when Cody Van Sickle doubled to center to give NCU two on with no outs. Andrews then scored when James Lissick (Fairfield, Calif./Buckingham) reached on an error and gave NCU a 1-0 lead they would hold through the fifth inning when they expanded the advantage.

With one out freshman Bobby Donohoe (Traverse City, Mich./) singled to second moved up when freshman Cory Kukkola (Fountain Hills, Ariz./Fountain Hills) drew a walk. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with two outs. Freshman Bryce Riege (Marshall, Wis./Marshall) drew another walk to load the bases. Tate Andrews then singled through the left side to drive in Donohoe. A passed ball then allowed Kukkola to score and NCU led 3-0 after five full innings.

Crown posted two runs in the sixth inning and came up to their last at bat with a chance to extend the game. But Cody Van Sickle got two pop up outs and then struck out the final batter to give him the first victory of his college career.

Tate Andrews was 2-3 with an RBI in game one. Bobby Donohoe was 2-2 with a run scored. Cody Van Sickle went all seven innings for NCU scattering two earned runs over seven hits with one strikeout and one walk.

Crown opened the scoring in the first inning of game two but the Rams made it 1-1 in their part of the frame. Cory Kukkola led off the inning with a single up the middle and then stole second with one out. A wild pitch moved Kukkola to third and Bryce Riege drove him in with a ground out to short.

The Storm posted three more runs in the second and NCU did not have an answer until the third. Matthew Juve (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) led off the inning reaching on an error and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second. Cory Kukkola singled to give the Rams runners at the corners with one out. Kukkola then stole second and Juve scored on the throw to second. Bryce Riege then punched a two-out double that made it a 4-3 game through three innings.

However, a four run fourth for Crown followed by one more in the sixth stretched the Storm lead and North Central never filed a response. Cory Kukkola finished 2-4 and two stolen bases. Bryce Riege was 1-3 with a double and two RBI. Cody Van Sickle was 1-2 with a walk.

North Central is scheduled to get back to work on Tuesday in a UMAC double-header at the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, Minn.). The double-header is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.