May 10, 2009
Maroons Win #20 in Regular Season Finale

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The University of Chicago baseball team split a doubleheader at North Central College on the final day of the regular season Sunday, winning and losing by scores of 9-5.

Freshman designated hitter Trace Capps (Lynwood, Ill./ Bloom) and senior first baseman Scott Hofer (San Marino, Calif./ Flintridge Prep) homered and combined for five RBIs as the Maroons won game one 9-5. The win gave Chicago (20-13-1) its seventh 20-victory campaign since 1996.

Capps and Hofer belted solo home runs in the second and third innings, respectively, as the Maroons jumped out to a 4-2 lead after three frames.

Capps delivered an RBI double in the fifth to put Chicago on top 6-2. He and Hofer then delivered back-to-back run-scoring singles as part of a three-run Chicago seventh.

Capps was 3-for-4 on the day, while Hofer had two hits in four at-bats. Sophomore left fielder Zach Osman (Long Beach, Ind./ Marquette) also drove in a pair of runs.

Junior pitcher Joe Pankow (Naperville, Ill./ North) went the distance for his sixth complete game in nine starts. He finished the year with a 6-1 record.

Mike Kloss (4-3) took the loss for the Cardinals. He allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings.

In game two, the Cardinals (11-25-1) scored nine runs (five earned) on nine hits in the first two innings off sophomore pitcher Dan McConologue (Lockport, Ill./ Lockport), who fell to 6-4.

Right fielder Dan Scott led North Central's 15-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.

Junior shortstop Rob Serpico (Schaumburg, Ill./ Hampshire) had three hits with a pair of RBIs for the Maroons, who won three of four games against North Central on the year.

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2