KENOSHA, Wis. (Apr. 21, 2018) – Backed by a brilliant pitching performance in game one, the North Central College baseball team shut out Carthage College, 1-0 in the opener of the doubleheader, before suffering a heartbreaking 7-5 loss in the nightcap at Augie Schmidt Field.
 
North Central (16-8, 11-2 CCIW) plated an early first-inning run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Michael Mateja, and that proved to be all the run support starter Charlie Klemm needed.
 
The Cardinal freshman was outstanding in the opener, outdueling Red Men senior and CCIW wins leader Kevin Tibor, as Klemm scattered four hits, all singles, while striking out five and walking just one to earn his first collegiate complete-game shutout.  Klemm improves to 4-1 on the season, while handing Tibor his first defeat on the year.
 
Jeremy Quade led off the game with a single up the middle, before Eric Outlaw doubled down the left field line ahead of Mateja's sac fly, proving to be all the scoring either team would generate in the opener.
 
Outlaw and Rob Marinec each finished 2-for-4 in game one, while Mateja finished 0-for-3, snapping his reached-base streak at 65 games, but more importantly drove in the game-winning run.
 
It was the Cardinals that struck first in the nightcap as well, as John Carmody connected on his second homerun of the season, a solo shot to lead off the top of the second.
 
The Red Men (24-5, 11-2 CCIW) countered with two runs in each of the third and fourth innings with some timely hitting, as Nick Pierce plated a pair with a two-RBI single in the third before Colton Klein followed suit in the bottom of the fourth, giving Carthage a 4-1 lead.
 
North Central cut the lead 4-2 in the top of the fifth, as Carmody singled through the right side with two away in the inning.  Rob Marinec then walked to extend the inning for Ryan Scott, lining a RBI-single to left field to score Carmody.
 
In the top of the seventh, Mike Wisz smacked a lead off double to center field, before Carmody singled through the right side, forcing a Red Men pitching change.
 
Two batters later, Scott reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Wisz in the process, before Joe Rizzosingled up the middle and Matt Sutherland walked to load the bases.
 
With two outs and the bases full of Cardinals, Quade lined a single to center field, sending home Scott and Rizzo to give North Central its first lead since the second inning 5-4.

That lead did not last long however, as a North Central error ended up extending the bottom of the seventh and the Red Men made it hurt, once again coming through with a two-out, two-RBI single to take back the lead 6-5.
 
Carthage added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, while the Cardinals had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but Brian Polaski induced a fly out to close the door and earn his eighth save of the season.
 
Carmody finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI to lead the offense in game two, while Scott finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.  Quade also added a pair of hits and two RBI, while Rizzo was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored.
 
Klein and Clayton Taylor paced the Red Men offense with three hits apiece, while Myles Farley finished 1-for-2 with two walks, two RBI and a run scored.
 
The two teams square off tomorrow with the rubber match slated to begin at 1 p.m. at Zimmerman Stadium.