By Steve Marovich, Athletics Staff Writer/2022 Baseball Contact
The Carthage College baseball team (6-18, 1-6 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) lost a tough road game to CCIW-opponent North Park University (9-14, 3-2), 10-9 in 10 innings, on Tuesday, April 12 at the Holmgren Athletic Complex in Chicago. The Firebirds have lost seven of their last eight games.
Carthage took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI-single by Austin Prybylinski. North Park tied the game, 1-1, in the fourth on an RBI-double by Nick Cecchi.
The Vikings went up, 2-1, in the sixth off Carthage starting pitcher Troy Siranovic. With two outs, North Park loaded the bases on a hit batter, a single and a walk, and Siranovic walked Cole Fiorenza to force in the go-ahead run.
The Firebirds erupted for seven runs in the seventh to take an 8-2 lead. A two-run single by Kody Krekling put Carthage on top, followed by three-run home run off the bat of Cody Tostrud, an RBI-single by Colton Klein and a sacrifice fly by Evan Lapsley.
The Vikings came right back in the bottom of the seventh. After Vitritti loaded the bases on walk, a hit batter and a single, he hit Nathan Sommerfeld with a pitch to force in a run. The next batter, pinch-hitter Richie Silva hit a bases-clearing double to cut the lead to 8-6.
Carthage upped its lead to 9-6 in the eighth on an RBI-grounder off the bat of Bryce Prybylinski. The Vikings weren't done yet, though. In the eighth, with Nathan Schnabel on the hill for the Firebirds, Ranko Stevanovic connected on a three-run homer to knot the contest at 9-9 and sending the game into extra innings.
Carthage went out in order in the top of the 10th inning. With one out In home half, Justin Swanson doubled. Ranko Stevanovic, batting .349 with 22 RBI, was walked intentionally. Both runners moved up on a double steal, with Swanson almost scoring on an errant throw to third base.. The next batter, Alex DiVito, executed a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score Swanson with the game-winning run, 10-9.
Frank Kalemba (1-0), the fourth Vikings pitcher, picked up the win by allowing just one run on two hits over the final four innings. Nathan Schnabel (0-2), the fourth Firebirds hurler, took the loss and gave up two runs on two hits over the final two and one-third innings. Starting pitcher Troy Siranovic went five and two-thirds innings and allowed two runs on six hits and five walks. Nick Vitritti took over after the base-loaded walk in the sixth, Kyle McKinnon in the seventh and Schnabel in the eighth. Cody Tostrud went two-for-five with three RBI for the Firebirds.
Carthage plays host to conference-opponent Wheaton College (Ill.) on Friday, April15 in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Augie Schmidt Field in Kenosha, Wis.