WATERTOWN, Wisc. -- North Central University (NCU) baseball hit the road on Saturday afternoon to take on the Sabercats of Maranatha Baptist University (MBU) in two nonconference contests. The Rams continued their impressive hitting on the day by tallying a total of 28 runs, good enough to come away with both games by final scores of seven to two and 21 to seven.

Game One Recap

Pitching and reliable defense held the storyline in game one. Tanner Oka (Mililani, HI, Hanalani School) earned the start for North Central on the mound, and truly made the best of it with his best outing in a Rams uniform yet. The Hawaii product went the distance to keep North Central out in front the entire way. In the top of the third with Rene Brockman (Tucson, AZ, Desert View High School) on, Kyle Huerth (Moorpark, CA, Moorpark High School) sent a shot that cleared the fence for a home runs to put the Rams up five to zero. The Rams tacked on to their lead again in the top of the fifth with a Brockman home run and a  Daniel Montana (Tucson, AZ, Cienega High School) RBI double. The Sabercats got two runs across in their final chance at the plate in the bottom of the sixth, but by then it was too late and the Rams took game one by a final score of seven to two.

Game Two Recap

There was plenty of offense yet again for the blue and gold in game two. Despite being held scoreless in the top of the first and letting up two on the defensive side early on, the Rams managed to put across runs in each of the next seven innings. Getting the Rams started was Brockman, who scored the first run of the day in the second. After RBI singles by Justin Torres (Palatine, IL, Palatine High School) and Montana, NCU was up four to two. From that point on, North Central went on to push across two runs in the third, six in the fourth, two in the fifth, five in the sixth, and two in the seventh. The heavy offensive surges by the Rams were fueled by several Rams in the lineup, but they were highlighted by two home runs from Jack Parker (Bordentown, NJ, Bordentown Regional High School) and Brockman. When all was said and done, the massive allotted runs in the fifth through seventh innings were too much for the Sabercats to get themselves back into the game, allowing NCU to come away with game two 21 to seven.

Key Performers

• Rene Brockman had an incredible day at the plate. The Arizona shortstop went 6-for-8 at the plate with two home runs, a double, and six total RBIs.
• Tanner Oka pitched lights out on the bump for the Rams by recording seven innings pitched and only giving up one earned run in the process with no walks.
• Kyle Huerth posted a 3-for-6 showing, highlighted by his first career home run for the Rams while recording three RBIs.

Looking Ahead

Rams baseball now improves to a 6-9 overall record (3-6 UMAC) on the season. Next up for North Central is a matchup with the Saints of the College of St. Scholastica this coming Tuesday at Stan Cyson Field. First pitch for the conference doubleheader is set for 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. To view NCU's COVID-19 policy on fan attendance for the upcoming game, please click here. Fans are encouraged to stay posted to all official NCU Rams social media feeds (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for upcoming game information, such as live video and statistics.