Carthage College Athletics

Baseball Battles the Elements and the Storm in Topeka, Kan., on March 5-6

3/6/2022 6:41:00 AM

Firebirds Drop a Saturday Twinbill to Simpson, 8-1 and 17-8

By Steve Marovich, Athletics Staff Writer/2022 Baseball Contact

The Carthage College baseball team (3-4) lost two games and 32 degrees on Saturday, March 5 in Topeka, Kan.  The Firebirds opened a four-game series at the Bettis Family Sports Complex by losing both ends of a doubleheader to Simpson College (2-0), 8-1 and 17-8.  The twinbill was the season-opener for the Storm.
 
The elements were as much of a story as the baseball.  The afternoon began with a temperature of 74 degrees and winds of 29 miles per hour, with gusts approaching 50 miles per hour, blowing straight in from right field.  By the time the second game ended at 8:45 p.m., the thermometer had plunged 32 degrees to 42 with an icy wind chill factor of just over 30 degrees.  In the first inning, a gust blew a foul popup behind first base almost all the way to home plate.
 
In the first game, Carthage loaded the bases with one out in the first, but Jake Snider struck out swinging, and Bryce Prybylinski lined out to right to end the threat.  Simpson loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first, but the Storm cashed in with a pair of bases-loaded walks by Carthage starting pitcher Dante Guarascio.  Simpson loaded the bases again in the second, this time with two outs, and the Storm capitalized, scoring one run on a passed ball and a second on an RBI-single by Luke Willis for a 4-0 lead.  Simpson upped its lead to 5-0 in the fourth off Guarascio and added another run in the fifth off reliever Kyle McKinnon for a 6-0 margin.  The Storm scored two more in the sixth, also off McKinnon, to go up, 8-0.  Carthage scored its lone run in the seventh inning on an RBI-grounder by Kody Krekling.
 
With the aid of three double plays in the first five innings, Simpson starting pitcher Brady Held (1-0) blanked Carthage on six hits, two walks and eight strikeouts over six innings.  Dante Guarascio (1-1) allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits and four walks, while striking out six batters. 
 
In the nightcap, Simpson took a 5-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI-triple by Ty Cowley, a run-scoring single off the bat of Kalib Bauer, a two-run single by Brady Held and an RBI-grounder by Luke Willis.  Bauer singled in another run in the third to make it 6-0.  The Firebirds got on the scoreboard in the third on an RBI-double by Austin Prybylinski, who subsequently scored on a passed ball and throwing error.  Bryce Prybylinski then connected on a two run home run to make it 6-4. 
 
Carthage took a 7-6 lead with a three-run fourth inning.  Austin Prybylinski singled in the first run of the inning.  Bryce Prybylinski doubled in a run to tie the game, and Colton Klein scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
 
Simpson unloaded with a seven-run fifth inning to take the lead, for good, 13-7.  A three-run homer by Keaton DeKock put Simpson back on top.  RBI singles by Luke Willis and Brennen Lemke followed.  A base-loaded walk scored the sixth run of the frame and a wild pitch scored the seventh run.
 
The Firebirds scored once in the bottom of the fifth on solo homer by Iyan Pelfree to make it a 13-8 contest, but the Storm scored single runs in both the sixth and eighth innings before tacking on two more in the ninth for the final, 17-8 margin.
 
Simpson out-hit Carthage, 19-12 in the three-hour and 45-minute game, with the Storm's Kaleb Bauer going four-for-five with four runs scored and two RBI.  Carthage's Austin Prybylinski went three-for-five, while Bryce Prybylinski went two-for-four with three RBI. 
 
Brett Kauzlarich (1-0), the second-of-four Storm hurlers, was credited with the win.  Bryce Schaum started for the Firebirds but allowed the first six runs, only three earned, on six hits, two walks and four strikeouts.  Ben Massoglia (0-1) followed and took the loss by surrendering the next six runs.  James Lindenmuth worked the fifth and sixth innings, Nathan Schnabel the seventh and eighth and Chance Roach the ninth.  Simpson turned four double plays in the nightcap for a total of seven on the day.

"I told our guys that they should be embarrassed by how they played," said Carthage coach Augie Schmidt.  "We gave up way too many long innings that went on and on before we even got an out.  You can't win playing that way.  Yes, the weather was awful, but Simpson had the same challenges.  You can't use that as an excuse.  Simpson managed to get good pitching, which we didn't, and they turned seven double plays in two games, which is huge in weather like we had."