The Carthage College baseball team (3-5, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) split a Friday, March 22 doubleheader with Gustavus Adolphus College (2-8) at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz. Gustavus Adolphus won the first game, 5-4, but Carthage took the nightcap by a 14-0 margin.
In the opener, the Gusties took a 2-0 lead in the second on a solo home run by Kellan Euerle and a sacrifice fly off the bat of David Tranvik. Carthage tied the game, 2-2, in the fourth on a pair of hit batters, an infield error and single by Matt Richer. The Gusties took a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run single by Garrett Fuchs and a fielder's choice-RBI off the bat of Christopher Kelly. Carthage made some noise in the seventh-and-final inning. After loading the bases, Kyle Pusateri delivered a two-out, two-run single to cut he the lead to 5-4. Mike Merritt walked, but Matt Richer hit an infield grounder to first base to end the game.
Tm Miller (1-0) was the winning pitcher for the Gusties, and he allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks. Jeremy Salzman (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove, 0-1) pitched the first four innings for Carthage and surrendered five runs on five hits and two walks. Marc Mantucca (Jr., Naperville, Ill./Central) took over in the fifth. Colin Semler and Drew Bailey each had two hits for the Red Men.
Carthage took a 4-0 lead in the second inning on the nightcap. Marc Mantucca led off with a home run. Matt Cmiel singled in a run and later scored on a wild pitch, and Chris Tydd singled home a run with a bunt single. The Red Men added six runs in the third to go up, 10-0. Mantucca hit his second home in as many at bats, this one a two-run shot. Matt Cmiel hit a sacrifice fly, Nick Schmidlkofer an RBI-double, Tanner Wensman an RBI-single and Tydd an RBI-double. The Red Men tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning and two in the sixth on a two-run homer by Tanner Wensman (Jr., Oconomowoc, Wis.) for the final 14-0 margin.
Josh Daniels (Jr., Elk Grove, Ill., 1-0) was the beneficiary of Carthage's 16-hit outburst. Daniels blanked Gustavus Adolphus on four hits and a walk over seven innings and struck out five. Justin Cunningham (0-1), the first-of-three Gustie hurlers, took the loss. Marc Mantucca went two-for-three with the two home runs and three RBI, and Tanner Wensman two-for-four with three runs scored and three RBI.
"We made a couple of defensive mistakes in the first game and walked a few too many guys," said Coach Augie Schmidt IV, "but we came charging back late in the game. Matt Richer had a great at bat in the seventh but just hit one right at somebody. We gave them too much in the first game. Josh Daniels was fantastic in the second game—he had total control. That was a great surprise, and it's a great thing for us, because our staff is very inexperienced. We hit the heck out of the ball in the second game, and some guys who had really been struggling did really well. We'll take a day off tomorrow, and throw some more freshmen out there starting on Sunday. They have to pitch this year, so we have to give them a chance on this trip."
On Sunday, March 24, the Red Men take on Buena Vista University at 11 a.m., MST.