WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll baseball picked up their first CCIW victory of the season on Thursday afternoon, defeating Carthage 5-4 on a walk off run scored by Eddie Synek. The win was coach Stein Rear's 200th career victory.
Four Pios had multi-hit games on a frigid day where the bats were hot, as Eddie Synek, Joey Appino, and Lane Scott went 2-for-4 and Thomas Ward had a 2-for-3 showing. Both Appino and Ward had doubles to lead the Pios.
The bats got going right away in the first inning, with both teams collecting hits in the opening frame. Both starting pitchers were in "bend don't break" mode with the help of their defenses, as nine runners were left on base through five and-a-half innings. The Pioneers cracked the scoreboard first, with Ward driving in Casey Mir on a double in the bottom of the fourth. The Pioneers built on the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Anthony Tado scored on a balk. Carthage followed it up by scoring one in the next half inning. Carroll fired back with one run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Firebirds exploded in the eighth, putting the first and only crooked number on scoreboard by scoring three runs to take their first lead 4-3. Carroll responded to knot the game back up in the bottom of the eighth inning, and held Carthage scoreless in ninth.
A Synek single up the middle and Scott single to right center started the inning off with runners on the corners and no outs. In the next at-bat, the pressure would get to Carthage as a wild pitch allowed a window for Synek to score the winning run, sealing the 200th victory of Stein Rear's career.
Carroll utilized three pitchers in the loss, including starter Dylan Eckrote, Andy Buskohl, and Connor Nolen. The pitching staff gave up three earned runs on seven hits. The Pioneers also collected nine strikeouts while only walking two batters. Eckrote gave seven strong innings on the bump, giving up four hits and seven strikeouts. Nolen was awarded the victory, going 2 innings and giving up two hits while striking out two batters.
Carroll returns to action for a Senior Day doubleheader against Elmhurst on Saturday, April 6. First pitch in game one from Frame Park will be at noon.