Box Score
The Carthage College baseball team (5-4, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked ninth in the March 16 “D3baseball.com” poll, traveled to Minneapolis, Minn., on Saturday-Sunday, March 20-21 for three indoor games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. On Saturday, March 20, Carthage lost to No. 1 the University of St. Thomas (Minn., 5-1), 2-1 in 10 innings. On Sunday, March 21, Carthage plays a 2 p.m. doubleheader against St. John's University (Minn., 6-5).
In the loss to No. 1 St. Thomas (Minn.), Carthage pitcher Mario Perez (Jr., Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) and 2009 American Baseball Coaches Association first-team All-American Matt Schuld were locked up in a scoreless pitching duel until the seventh inning. Carthage broke through first with a run in the top of the seventh. Chris D'Angelo led off with a bunt single, advanced to second on a grounder and scored on a single by Trevor Whately. The Tommies knotted the game in the bottom half. After Perez struck out the first two batters, Charles Bruchu drew a base on balls, stole second and scored on a single by Brady Field.
Carthage had the go-ahead run on second base with one out in the ninth after D'Angelo singled and moved over on a bunt. Tyler Eickmeyer flied out, and Whately lined out to third to end the scoring threat. In the St. Thomas ninth, Bryan Kieffer took over pitching duties for Perez. Roy Larson led off with a double and advanced to third on a grounder. Bruchu was walked intentionally to set up the double play, which the Red Men got, in a disputed call, off the bat off pinch-hitter J.P. Korte. Carthage put runners on first and second with one out in the 10th inning but, the Red Men were unable to push a run across. The Tommies scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th off Kieffer. With one out, Matt McQuillan singled and stole second. He moved up to third on a ground out. Tayler Rahm was walked intentionally and advanced to second on a wild pitch, with McQuillan holding at third. Tom Wippler then delivered a game-winning RBI-single, ending the 9:49 p.m. game at 12:13 a.m.
Matt Schuld (2-0) went the distance for St. Thomas (Minn.), scattering eight singles and a double over 10 innings, while walking five and striking out seven batters. Mario Perez allowed one run on five hits and two walks over eight innings, lowering his season earned run average to 0.64, while striking out eight. The loss went Bryan Kieffer (0-1). Carthage's Joey Aiello (So., Libertyville, Ill.) went three-for-five with a double.
