TUCSON, Ariz. – The Carthage College baseball team dropped a heartbreaker in the ninth inning on Sunday as the Red Men fell to Allegheny College, 12-11.
 
The loss drops the Red Men to 3-4 on the season, while Allegheny improves to 3-2.
 
Carthage jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings behind a Reed Hero sac fly in the first and RBIs by Jordan Wiegold and Hero in the third.
 
The Gators roared back with two in the fifth and three in the sixth to take their first lead of the game at 5-3.
 
Starting pitcher Ian Maxeiner went five innings allowing just three runs on six hits while striking out one in the no decision.
 
The Red Men regained the lead in the seventh on an A.J. Kaprelian RBI that scored John Burkiewicz followed by a Matt Rave two-run homerun in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead.
 
A two-run eighth gave the Gators a late 7-6 lead heading to what would be a wild ninth inning.
 
Cody Phelps led off the top-half of the ninth with a solo homerun to left to tie it at 7-7.  Carthage would then go back to work with two outs as a walk to Wiegold extended the inning.  After a single by Hero put runners on first and third, the Gators loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Rave.  The Red Men made Allegheny pay as designated hitter Ryan Rodgers blasted a grand slam to give Carthage a 11-7 lead.
 
Unfortunately for the Red Men the Gators would respond with a five-run inning of their own as they touched up three Carthage pitchers in the bottom of the ninth to hand the Red Men the tough loss after only recording one out in the inning.
 
The Red Men return to action on Monday, March 20^th with one game before a much needed day off on Tuesday.  Carthage faces Buena Vista University tomorrow at noon out west.