The Carthage College baseball team (3-3, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), tied for 41st place in the March 8 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association /"D3baseball.com" poll, was an inning away from knocking off No. 1 Heidelberg University (9-0) on Monday, March 14, but the Red Men wound up on the short end of an 8-5 game at South County Regional Park in Punta Gorda, Fla.
Heidelberg's Ricardo Lizcano opened the game with a triple down the right field line and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gar Keen. Carthage took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half. Mike Petti singled with one out and scored on a triple by Joey Aiello. Aiello scored on a sacrifice fly by John Hasser. Carthage loaded the bases in the fourth on a pair of walks and a dropped fly ball in right field. Billy Herrin singled in a run to make it 3-1, but Mike Petti flied to left to end the inning. The Red Men loaded the bases again in the fifth on singles by Aiello and Zach Kozlowski, sandwiched around a walk to Will Hodges. Matt Soderlund received a base-loaded walk to force in Aiello for a 4-1 lead, but Kyle Pusateri flied to right to end inning. An RBI-single by Willie Brechun in the bottom of the sixth made it a 4-2 game.
Meanwhile, pitcher Nic Jensen was cruising along, scattering seven hits into the seventh inning. The Berg loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, and Billy Montemayor replaced Jensen on the hill. Montemayor hit Alex Monroe, his first batter, with a pitch to force in a run and make it a 4-3 game, but Gar Keen flied to center to close out the frame. The Red Men took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI-double by Soderlund.
After a scoreless eighth inning, the Berg erupted for five runs in the top of the ninth to take an 8-5 lead. Mitch Lochen relieved Montemayor with one on and one out in the inning. A single and walk loaded the bases for Heidelberg, and Alex Monroe delivered a two-run single to tie the game, 5-5. Gar Keen followed with a single to left to drive in the go-ahead run at 6-5. A sacrifice fly by Jason Lash upped the Heidelberg lead to 7-5, and an RBI-single by Dave Andrzejczak made it 8-5.
Branden Stuckey (1-0), the second of three Berg pitchers picked up the win, with Andy Lowe working a scoreless ninth to collect his fourth save. Nathan James started the game for Heidelberg. Carthage starter Nic Jensen (Sr., Appleton, Wis./East) worked the first six and two-thirds innings allowed the first three runs on seven hits, one walk and four strikeouts. The loss went to Mitch Lochen (So., Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), who surrendered four runs on three hits without recording an out. Alex Monroe went three-for-four with a double and three RBI for the Berg, while Carthage's Joey Aiello (Jr., Libertyville, Ill.) went two-for-four with a triple and an RBI.
"We ran out of pitching," admitted Carthage coach Augie Schmidt IV, "and we brought a couple of guys back who probably needed more rest. Nic Jensen pitched almost seven innings of unbelievable ball against supposedly the number-one team. We outplayed them, we outhit them, and we outpitched them. We did everything except get the last two outs, so that hurts. We know we over-extended our pitching staff, and there's not much we can do about that. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. We showed we can play with anybody—we just didn't have enough pitching to finish it. We're playing a schedule down here that nobody else would even think about playing. If we don't bury ourselves, we're going to come out of this week way better than we when we started. Eric Rohe will start tomorrow, and then we're back to being a little short in the bullpen. We're starting to hit and field better, and we're progressing in the right direction. I actually feel pretty good about things."
On Tuesday, March 15, Carthage takes on Montclair State University in a 10 a.m., EDT game at North County Regional Park. On Wednesday, March 16, the Red Men play Utica College in a 2 p.m., EDT game at North County Regional Park. Following an off-day on March 17, Carthage plays Otterbein University in a Friday, March 18 doubleheader at North County Regional Park. The trip concludes with a single game versus No. 34 Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m., also at North County Regional Park.