TUCSON, Ariz. – The Carthage College Red Men held on in the late innings on Thursday to defeat Hamline University, 7-5.
 
The win moves the Red Men to 5-6 on the season, while the Pipers fall to 5-8 in 2017.
 
Tim Sulik went 6.2 innings for the Red Men allowing five runs, all of which came in his final inning of work.  Sulik was nearly untouchable before his final inning, as he struck out 14 batters and allowed seven hits.
 
The Red Men jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning as Cody Phelps drove in John Burkiewicz with an RBI single to left.
 
The score would remain a one run game until the sixth when the Red Men broke through with five runs to open the game up.  Alex Letto started the scoring with a bases loaded single to score Burkiewicz.  Vince Schwartz then drove in Phelps to extend the lead to 3-0.  Nick Pierce capped off the scoring for the Red Men in the inning with a three run homerun to go up 6-0.
 
The big lead was short lived however as the Pipers scored five in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to one and knocked out Sulik.
 
The Red Men would rebound however with an insurance run in the eighth as Jared Knoespel drove in Pierce to push Carthage back up two, 7-5.  The lead was enough for Alex Tinkoff who came in and recorded the save as he came on with a pair of runners and recorded three straight fly outs.
 
The Red Men return to action on Friday as Carthage plays Grinnell College.