By Steve Marovich, Athletics Staff Writer/2022 Baseball Contact
The Carthage College baseball team (5-11) snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday, March 26 with a dramatic, come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Illinois Institute of Technology (3-8) at Art Nehf Field in Terre Haute, Ind. The game was the second for the Firebirds on a three-game trip to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. On Friday night, March 25, Carthage lost a 6-2 decision to Rose-Hulman (6-4).
In Saturday's game, Illinois Tech took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning. Carthage starting pitcher Bryce Schaum loaded the bases with one out, and a wild pitch scored the run. The Scarlet Hawks upped their lead to 4-0 in the third. Brandon Bennitt hit a ground ball RBI.. Schaum proceeded to load the bases, and Peyton Vieluf hit a two-run single up the middle.
Illinois Tech starting pitcher Austin Richardson was brilliant, as shut out the Firebirds on two hits and a walk over the first seven innings, while striking out 13 batters, including nine of his first 12 batters. Richardson was lifted for a reliever to start the eighth inning after 96 pitches, and that's when Carthage's fortunes started to change, as P.T. Boeye singled in a run in the eighth to make it a 4-1 contest off reliever John Gori.
In the Carthage ninth, Bryce Prybylinski led off with a double and advanced to third on a Gori wild pitch. Pinch-hitter Jax Calverley walked. With one out, pinch-hitter Lucas Hines walked to load the base. Another pinch-hitter, Colton Klein, single down the left field line to score Prybylinski. Zac Lis relieved Gori on the hill, and Kody Krekling reached base on an error by the shortstop, scoring Calverley to make it a 4-3 game. With two outs, Matt Pratscher doubled to left, scoring both Krekling and pinch-runner Ben Massoglia and giving the Firebirds a 5-4 lead.
In the Illinois Tech ninth, the Scarlet Hawks put a runner on base against relief pitcher Troy Siranovic, but the junior righty, who entered the game in the seventh inning, got the final three outs to close out the game.
Pitcher Bryce Schaum started the game for the Firebirds and surrendered all four runs on five hits and five walks over six innings. Siranovic (1-0) blanked Illinois Tech on a hit and two walks over the final three frames to earn the victory. John Gori (0-2) took the loss.
"Austin Richardson, the Illinois Tech pitcher, was just on top of us," said Carthage coach Augie Schmidt IV. "They changed pitchers, and we showed a little life in the late innings. It was nice to see us put together a little something, because we haven't been playing good baseball. We got a big hit from Matt Pratscher, and that comeback was great."
Carthage was scheduled to play a second game on Saturday versus Rose-Hulman, but that game was canceled due to cold weather. The Firebirds conclude their three-game trip on Sunday with an 11 a.m., CDT contest against Illinois Tech.