Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Carthage College baseball team (6-8, 1-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) opened its CCIW-schedule on Good Friday, March 29 by splitting a doubleheader with North Central College (8-7, 1-1 CCIW) at Zimmerman Stadium/Alumni Field in Naperville, Ill.   The Cardinals won the opening game, 4-2, but the Red Men came back to take the nightcap by an 11-3 margin after scoring all their runs in the final five innings, nine of those in the last three frames. 

Friday's twinbill was originally scheduled for the new Augie Schmidt Field in Kenosha, Wis., but that facility is still partially frozen.  The two teams conclude the three-game series with a Noon single game on Saturday, March 30 at Zimmerman Stadium
 
Carthage took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the opener when Marc Mantucca doubled, moved up to third on a bunt and scored on a single by Drew Bailey.  North Central tied the game, 1-1, in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Alex Khoury.  The Red Men re-gained the lead, 2-1, in the seventh when Brian Huntsinger reached an infield throwing error, went to second on a balk, advanced to third on a bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Schmidlkofer.
 
The Cardinals came up with three runs in the eighth to take a 4-2 lead.  After Sam Klein and Alex Khoury reached on bunt singles, a sacrifice fly by Zac Pacanowski tied the game.  John Ciolkosz then drove the first pitch he saw to right field for a two-run home run.
 
Jon Rashid (3-1) was the winning pitcher.  Rashid limited the Red Men to two runs, one earned, on eight hits and no walks over seven and one-third innings.  Brendan Ryan entered the game in the ninth and retired the side in order to earn his second save.  Jeremy Salzman (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove, 0-2) took the loss.  Salzman was charged with four runs on seven hits and three walks over eight innings.  Marc Mantucca (Jr., Naperville, Ill./Central) went three-for-four for the Red Men.
 
In the nightcap, North Central opened up a 3-0 lead in the second inning.  Frank Sutphin drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, and Alex Khoury and Tom Ross followed with back-to-back RBI singles.  Carthage got on the scoreboard in the fifth on an RBI-double by Tanner Wensman.  The Red Men made it a 3-2 game in the sixth on an RBI-single by Marc Mantucca.  Carthage scored five times in the seventh to take a 7-3 lead.  Wensman doubled in the first two runs in the seventh, followed by an RBI-single by Brian Huntsinger, who subsequently scored on an infield throwing error.  Marc Mantucca scored on a passed ball, and Mike Gentile singled in the fifth run in the frame.
 
The Red Men tacked on four more runs in the eighth, three of those coming on a bases-clearing double by Kyle Pusateri.  Carthage pitcher Josh Daniels (Jr., Elk Grove, Ill.) worked the first six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and four walks, while striking out seven batters.  Sam Wilhelms (Jr., Fond du Lac, Wis., 2-2) followed in the seventh and was credited with the win.  Jordan Van Dyck (0-2), the second-of-five Cardinal pitchers, took the loss.
 
Kyle Pusateri (Sr., Schaumburg, Ill.) went three-for-five with three RBI..  Marc Mantucca went three-for-five with an RBI in the second game to complete a six-for-nine afternoon. 
 
“We were really disappointed about losing the first game,” said Carthage coach Augie Schmidt IV.  “We messed up two bunts and opened the door for them, and they got the big home run to win it.  Jeremy Salzman pitched a great game up until that pitch, but we shouldn't have been in that spot.  Jeremy has had a lot of tough luck this year.  He's pitched well, but we haven't scored enough early runs for him.  As a result, the mistakes get magnified.  Josh Daniels pitched great in the second game and righted the ship after a shaky start.  Sam Wilhelms also threw great, and then we started to hit, late in the game.  It was a better end to the day.”