Box Score

KENOSHA, Wis. – Carthage rode a four-run third inning to a 5-1 win over Augustana Saturday at Augie Schmidt Field. The Vikings dropped to 13-6 on the year and 1- 3 in the CCIW, while the Red Men improved to 17-3 overall and 4-0 in the league.
 
Augustana starter Chris Refka (Palatine HS, Palatine, Ill.) faced the minimum through two innings but ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. He walked Joe Sisk and Ben Levicki to start the frame and they eventually scored on RBI singles by Colton Klein and Cody Phelps, respectively. Refka walked in another run and Ryan Dalton made it 4-0 with an RBI single to left.
 
The Vikings answered with their only run in the top of the fourth. Junior Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) led off with a single off Carthage starter Kevin Tibor, but was injured on the play and replaced by sophomore Sam Beyer (Legend HS, Parker, Colo.). A botched pickoff attempt moved Beyer to second and he advanced to third on an infield hit by senior Matt Loeffl (Grayslake Central HS, Grayslake, Ill.). Junior Ryan Granneman (McHenry West HS, McHenry, Ill.) followed with a single up the middle, plating Beyer to make it 4-1. Tibor coaxed a fielder's choice grounder by John Moraksi (Kewanee HS, Kewanee, Ill.) to get out of the inning with no further damage.
 
The Red Men added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth. Klein reached on a two-out single to right and scored on Ryan Kramer's double to right center.
 
Augustana left two runners stranded in the seventh and ninth innings, but Tibor finished the complete game, scattering 11 hits and walking none to improve to 5-0 on the year. He fanned seven. Refka lasted 3 2/3 innings and fell to 4-2 with the loss. Freshmen John Hayes (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) and Josh Chamberlain (Legacy HS, Thornton, Colo.) allowed just one hit, one walk and no runs in 4 1/3 combined innings of relief.
 
Senior Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) went 3-for-4 at the plate. Kairis and Loeffl each had a pair of hits. Klein and Kramer each had two of Carthage's six hits.
 
The second game of what was originally scheduled as a doubleheader was moved to Sunday, April 8 when the teams will play a noon twin bill in Kenosha.