KENOSHA, Wis. -The Carthage Baseball team fell to North Central (Ill.) 12-10 in game one and 12-5 in game two to start their series with the Cardinals. 


Game One 

• Final score: North Central (Ill.) 12 - Carthage 10
• Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin - Augie Schmidt Field
• Records: North Central (Ill.) 13-21 (6-8 CCI), Carthage 21-11 (8-7 CCIW)

Game Two

• Final score: North Central (Ill.) 12 - Carthage 5
• Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin - Augie Schmidt Field
• Records: North Central (Ill.) 14-21 (7-8 CCI), Carthage 21-11 (8-8 CCIW)

 
 

•  In the opening match, the Cardinals initially took an early lead by scoring three runs. This lead was narrowed down to one when P.J. Moser and Joe Zuleger each delivered RBI singles in the first inning.
• Despite a solo home run from the visiting team in the second inning, North Central (Illinois) increased their lead by adding two more runs in the third.
• Carthage responded strongly by scoring five runs in the same inning, with Max Cairo and Zander Tubbs hitting home runs, flipping the score to 7-6 in their favor.
• Cairo continued his impressive performance by hitting his second home run of the game in the fourth inning, while AJ Gaca contributed with a homer to left field in the fifth, extending Carthage's lead to 10-7.
• However, the Cardinals made a comeback, scoring six runs in the ninth inning to regain the lead.
• Ultimately, North Central won the first game with a final score of 12-10.

 

• In the bottom of the second, Evan Devine hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Zander Tubbs for the first run of the game, 1-0, Firebirds. 
• In the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, North Central put up seven runs while holding Carthage scoreless until the sixth when A.J. Gaca placed a sacrifice fly to score Tubbs. In the bottom of the sixth, the Cardinals led 7-2. 
• North Central responded in the top of the eighth, scoring four runs to extend the lead to 11-2. 
• Tubbs cranked a two-run home run over the right-center fence, bringing P.J. Moser home in the bottom of the eighth. 
• The Cardinals tacked on one last run in the top of the ninth to expand their profit. 
• Matt Felber smacked a sacrifice fly to right center, scoring Oren Hill. 
• North Central took the win, 12-4. 

• In game one Bryce Schaum struck out six moving his season strikeout total to 100 which is third all-time in the single-season record books. 
• Max Cairo went three-for-four in game one with a pair of homers. 
• Zander Tubbs drove in three runs during game one. 
• Jake Pappagallo struck out five batters over 2.2 innings of work in game one. 

 
 

• Carthage travels to Zimmerman Stadium on April 28 against North Central College. The action begins at 1 p.m.