Needing its first series win of the season, the Carthage College baseball team (13-13, 6-6 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) took two-of-three from CCIW-opponent Augustana College (Ill.. 18-11, 7-5 CCIW) by winning a 3-1 contest over the Vikings on Sunday, April 17 at Augie Schmidt Field in Kenosha, Wis. The two teams split a Saturday, April 16 doubleheader. Augustana (Ill.) won the first game, 6-3, to extend Carthage's conference-losing streak to four games, but the Red Men came back to take the nightcap, 3-2.
Carthage's win on Sunday left the Red Men in fifth place in the league, just one game behind both Augustana (Ill.) and Wheaton College (Ill., 18-11, 7-5 CCIW).
Cayton Wallace's RBI-single in the second inning gave Augustana an early, 1-0 lead. Carthage loaded the bases with one out in the third but had to settle just a run to tie the game, 1-1. Jared Helmich singled in the tying run, but the Vikings turned a double play to end the inning. The Red Men had runners at second and third with two outs in the sixth, but Zach Wade lined out to first to end that threat. Carthage broke the tie in the seventh on a two-run double by Jordan Wiegold, putting the Red men up by two, 3-1.
Both starting pitchers pitched well. The Red Men's Jared Helmich (4-0) went the distance in the nine-inning game and limited Augustana to one run on seven hits, no walks and six strikeouts. Vikings starter Chris Sauer (3-2) allowed three runs on 10 hits, three walks and three strikeouts over seven and two-thirds innings.
Helmich helped his own cause by going three-for-four with an RBI, while Jordan Wiegold went two-for-four with a pair of RBI. Centerfielder Drew Korosic, out since April 3 with a hamstring injury, returned to the starting lineup but reinjured the leg sliding into second on an infield single by Jordan Wiegold in the third inning.
"We needed a series win bad," admitted Carthage coach Augie Schmidt IV, "and it came against one of the better teams we've played all year. We got a really good performance from Jared Helmich, not only pitching, but he had three hits. He's a horse, because he can go nine innings, which takes pressure off the bullpen. That's what it takes to beat a good club, and we feel like we're back in the hunt. We're looking forward to seeing what we can do down the stretch. Anything can happen from here on out."
In a schedule change for the coming week, the Red Men's Tuesday, April 19 non-conference game versus Rockford University at Rivets Stadium in Loves Park, Ill., has been postponed a day to Wednesday, April 20, still 3 p.m., due to a makeup conference game for the Regents.