BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Carthage College baseball team dropped their first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin doubleheader on Saturday as the Red Men fell to Illinois Wesleyan University 3-0 and 4-3.
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The losses drop the Red Men to 8-9 on the season and 1-3 in the CCIW, while the Titans improve to 9-6 and 3-0 in the conference.
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GM1: Illinois Wesleyan 3, Carthage 0
Carthage was held to just six hits in their opening loss with leadoff man
Drew Korosic going 2-4 to lead the Red Men.
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The Titans struck early with an unearned run in the first off starter
Chris DeRue and added another unearned in the fifth to go up 2-0. DeRue was lifted after Âsix innings allowing three runs, one of which was earned, and striking out five. The loss drops him to 0-2 on the season.
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Jackson Fischer worked two strong innings of relief allowing just one hit and one walk.
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The Red Men's best chance came in the top of the sixth as the Red Men put a pair of baserunners on with one out but IWU starter Sean Coonan worked out of the jam and shut the Red Men out in the complete game win.
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GM2: Illinois Wesleyan 4, Carthage 3
In game two, the Red Men left 14 on base as the Titans escaped a bases loaded jam in the ninth to seal the win.
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Starting pitcher
Tim Sulik worked six innings, allowing four runs, three earned, and struck out six in the loss.Â
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After falling behind 1-0 in the second, the Red Men battled back to tie and take the lead. In the fourth,
Graham Wick drove in
Ryan Rodgers with an RBI single to left and in the fifth the Red Men took the lead on an A.J. Kaprelain solo home run.
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However, the Red Men's lead was short lived as the Titans scored one in the sixth and a pair in the seventh to retake a 4-2 lead after seven.
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In the ninth Carthage added a third run as Anthony Fotunato was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score
Jared Knoespel. Unfortunately the Red Men wouldn't get another run across as Nick Brune earned the save to doom the Red Men.
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The Red Men will look to take the final game of the series on Sunday as Carthage faces the Titans once again at 11:00 AM.