Box Score
The Carthage College baseball team (3-2, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 10th in the March 9 “D3baseball.com” poll, defeated Muskingum University (2-3), 14-6, on Wednesday, March 10 at North County Regional Park in North Port, Fla.
Pitcher Chris Krepline (Sr., Brillion, Wis./Reedsville, 1-0) made his first appearance since a shoulder injury sidelined him almost two years ago and pitched a strong seven innings for the win. Krepline, who last appeared in a game on April 5, 2008, allowed three runs, just one earned, on seven hits and a walk, while striking out five batters. Tim Keyes pitched the eighth inning and Chadd Ori the ninth.
Carthage fell behind, 3-0, in the second inning with two of those runs unearned. The Red Men tied the game in the bottom half of the second on a fielder's choice RBIs off the bats of Matt Soderlund and Trevor Whately and an RBI-single by Nate Hughes. Carthage took a 5-3 lead in the third on an RBI-double by Zach Kozlowski and a an RBI-single by Soderlund. A rash of two-base hits led to a six-run fourth inning, putting the Red Men up, 11-3. Will Hodges doubled in the first run. Tim Hansen Jr. doubled in two, Josh Albers doubled in another, and Soderlund doubled home the fifth and sixth runs of the frame. Hansen drove in a run in the fifth to make it 12-3. Mike Petti's RBI-single in the sixth made it 13-3, and Hansen hit another run-scoring double in the seventh to up Carthage's lead to 14-3. The Beavers scored three times in the eighth off Scott Danly to complete the scoring.
Carthage banged out 19 hits, including seven doubles. Todd Spadaro (0-1), the first of three Muskingum pitchers, took the loss. Tim Hansen Jr. (Sr., Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) went three-for-four with two doubles and four RBI. Nate Hughes (Sr., Antioch, Ill./Community) went three-for-five with a double and an RBI, and Matt Soderlund (Jr., Racine, Wis./Washington Park) went two-for-three with a double and four runs driven in.
“Chris Krepline threw well,” said Carthage coach
Augie Schmidt IV. “While he's not as dominant as he was three years ago, he mixed us his speeds and kept Muskingum off balance. He was just what the doctor ordered. Doubles were the story at the plate. We're hitting the ball very well, and that's the only consistent thing we're doing. Our pitching has been up and down, and our defense has been awful.”
On Thursday, March 11, Carthage faces Ohio Wesleyan University (2-4) in a 10 a.m., EST game, also at North County Regional Park. The Red Men play a split doubleheader on Friday, March 12, taking on Muskingum at 4 p.m. and the College of Wooster at 7 p.m., EST in North Port. The trip concludes on Saturday, March 13 with a 2:30 p.m., EST contest versus No. 4 Kean University, also at North County Regional Park.
