Illinois Wesleyan 7, Carthage 4
Illinois Wesleyan 6, Carthage 2

The Carthage College baseball team (28-16) lost twice to Illinois Wesleyan University (23-20), 7-4 and 6-2, on Sunday, May 16 in the championship round of the CCIW Baseball Tournament at North Central College's Zimmerman Stadium/Alumni Field in Naperville, Ill. After losing to Carthage, 8-6, in a second-round game on Saturday, May 15, the Titans completed an improbable run to the title by winning three-straight games, including two over the Red Men, to claim the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. 

Augustana College (Ill.) will play host to the Central Regional Championship for the third-straight year at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field in Moline, Ill., on Wednesday-Saturday, May 19-22. The field for the 55-team championship will be announced by the NCAA on Monday morning, May 17.

Carthage advanced to the championship round with an 8-6 win, in 10 innings, over IWU on Saturday, May 15. The Titans eliminated North Park University (28-15), 9-7, in Saturday's third-and-final game. North Park eliminated North Central (Ill., 31-9), 11-10, in Saturday's first game. Third-seeded Carthage won its first-round game on Friday, May 14, 11-2, over second-seeded North Park University (27-14). Top-seeded North Central (Ill., 31-8) lost to fourth-seeded Illinois Wesleyan University (20-19), 16-5, in the other first-round game on Friday.

In the first Carthage-Illinois Wesleyan game on Sunday, Carthage took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Billy Herrin singled and took second on an error by Illinois Wesleyan leftfielder Kraig Ladd. Joey Aiello walked, and Mike Petti singled Herrin home. Will Hodges followed with a single to score Aiello. The Titans came right back with a four-run second inning to take a 4-2 lead off starting pitcher Scott Danly. Zach Scott hit an RBI-single, and with two outs, Kraig Ladd launched a three-run home run. 

The two teams exchanged runs in the sixth, with the Red Men's run scoring on a pinch-hit single by Nate Hughes. Carthage narrowed the margin to 5-4 in the eighth when Mike Petti singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on an infield grounder and scored on an error by Titan first baseman Casey McIntosh. The Titans added two runs in the top of the ninth on an RBI-single by Mike Morrissey and a sacrifice fly by McIntosh, making it a 7-4 game.

Paul Kabbes (2-4) was the winning pitcher. Kabbes went the distance and allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits and two walks, while striking out 10 batters. Scott Danly (4-2) took the loss. Danly gave up five runs on 10 hits and a walk over six and one-third innings. Brett McQuade worked the final two and third-thirds innings. Mike Petti went three-for-three with two runs scored and an RBI.

In the championship game, Illinois Wesleyan scored twice in the third and once in the fourth to open up a 3-0 lead against Red Men hurler Chris Krepline. An RBI-single by Carthage's Zach Tavs in the fifth cut the lead to 3-1. The Red Men shaved the lead to 3-2 in the seventh when Nate Hughes doubled and scored on a single by Josh Albers. Illinois Wesleyan answered with a run in the eighth on a solo home run by Ryan Hopp off relief pitcher Chadd Ori. The Titans went up, 6-2, with two runs in the ninth. Ryan Hopp hit an RBI-double off reliever Bryan Kieffer and subsequently scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Grodecki. 

Joe Sweeney (4-2) was the winning pitcher, as the Titans got complete-game victories in both championship-round games. Sweeney allowed just two runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out five batters. Chris Krepline (4-1) was the losing pitcher. Krepline allowed three runs on six hits and two walks over four and one-third innings. 

“Illinois Wesleyan deserved it, " said Carthage coach Augie Schmidt IV. "We didn't shoot ourselves in the foot. They just beat us. I think we have an outside chance at an NCAA berth because of the schedule we played. We played the toughest schedule in the country. I'm very proud of this team, especially with all of the things that happened along the way. We overcame some adversity.” (courtesy of the Kenosha News)