BY JOURNAL TIMES SPORTS STAFF | Posted: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 12:00 am
The Carthage College baseball team extended its season-opening school-record winning streak to 24 games Wednesday, but they had a few anxious moments in the first game of a nonconference doubleheader against Marian College at Fond du Lac.
Ranked No. 2 in the latest "D3baseball.com" national poll, Carthage (24-0) swept the doubleheader, winning the first game 15-14 and the second game 9-1.
Behind four home runs in the first three innings, Carthage jumped to a 9-2 lead. Tony Gragnani hit a two-run shot and Jason Acevado and Mike Hughes had solo shots in the second and Tim Hansen hit a solo shot in the third.
But Marian (11-9) chipped away at the lead, pulling within 9-7 in the fourth and tying the game at 9-9 in the fifth when Corey Richardson issued back-to-back walks to Joe Mlevzia and Jake Wilson. Richardson struck out Rob Gudates, who had an RBI double in the first and a two-run double in the fourth, to end the inning.
Carthage went ahead for good with four runs in the sixth, highlighted by RBI singles by David Hermes and Will Hodges. Mike Hughes added a two-run double in the seventh to give the Red Men a 15-9 lead.
But Gudates hit a bases-loaded double and James Goodfellow added a two-run double in the ninth off Richardson to pull within 15-14 before Richardson closed out the inning for the win.
Richardson pitched the final 2.1 innings and gave up five runs on five hits.
Hughes led Carthage's 16-hit attack, going 4-for-4 with a home run, three doubles and four RBIs.
In the second game, Mike Maher made his first start of the season and shut out Marian on 10 hits in eight innings and Acevado finished up, allowing one run on two hits in the ninth before striking out the side.
Shortstop Joe Ferro, who went 2-for-4, hit a two-run home run in the second to put Carthage ahead for good. Acevado hit a two-run triple in the fifth and an RBI single in the sixth.
The Red Men also learned that center fielder Boe Baitinger will miss at least four weeks with a broken left wrist. Baitinger sustained the injury in Carthage's 10-4 victory over Elmhurst Tuesday.
Softball
CARTHAGE: The Lady Reds split a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin doubleheader with Wheaton College, winning the first game 14-0, but losing the second game 9-3.
In the opener, Kelsey Epping shut out Wheaton (14-14, 1-5 CCIW) on three hits. Epping walked four and struck out nine.
Catcher Jenny Burke led Carthage's 15-hit attack, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs. First baseman Jacqelyn Tassone hit two home runs and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. The homers were her sixth and seventh of the season.
Meghan Roman, Stephanie Noel, Katie Los and Tarah Ellington had two hits each and Los and Ellington drove in three runs each.
In the second game, Carthage (11-6, 3-3 CCIW) scored single runs in the first, second and seventh innings and was limited to five hits by Wheaton pitcher Mandy Brockman.
Wheaton broke the game open with a five-run sixth inning.
First baseman Trinity Pierce led the way for Wheaton, going 3-for-3 with four RBIs, including two home runs.
Women's volleyball
UW-PARKSIDE: Three players have signed letters of intent to play for the Rangers this fall. They are Cassandra Marx of Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Amanda Rosenberg of Pewaukee and Courtney Stack of Mother McAuley in Oak Lawn, Ill.
Marx is a 6-foot right-side hitter, Rosenberg is a 5-10 outside hitter and Stack is a 5-9 setter.