NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The University of Chicago baseball team fell to North Central 3-2 in their first game of the season in the greater Chicago area. 

North Central opened the scoring in the second inning with three consecutive singles, the final one bringing home two runs for a quick 2-0 lead for the Cardinals. The UChicago bats were quiet to open the game with Eddie McCarthy and Max Wiesner picking up the only hits in the first five innings for the Maroons.

UChicago pushed thier first run across of the game after the Cardinals walked four of five batters in the fifth inning to give the Maroons their first run, but they could not come up with a big hit to break the inning open and stranded all three runners. In the sixth inning, UChicago was able to level the score line at two Richard Lu followed up Max Wiesner's double with an RBI single of his own.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Cardinals were able to take advantage of the UChicago mistakes as they scored a run on an error, a hit by pitch, and a pair of walks to retake the 3-2 lead. The Maroons were able to get multiple runners on in the final three innings, but they could not push the tying run across and fell 3-2.

Max Wiesner and Eddie McCarthy led the UChicago offense with two hits each in the loss. McCarthy reached base all four times with two doubles and two walks in the game. On the mound, eight different Maroons saw action with Matthew Richert, Landon Brice, and Charlie Hahn pitching perfect frames in their 2.2 combined innings pitched. Uday Narottam and Kirk Waller combined to strikeout seven batters in their three innings of work.

With the loss, the Maroons fall to 12-5 on the season. The team returns to action on Friday as they open UAA play with a four-game series at Brandeis. The teams will play at 3 PM and 6 PM on Friday before meeting at 1 PM on Saturday and 11 AM on Sunday to close out the series.