KENOSHA, Wis. – Carthage erupted for eight runs in the second inning Tuesday and 24th-ranked Augustana couldn't recover, eventually falling 12-7 at Augie Schmidt Field. The Vikings fell to 14-3 on the year and 6-3 in the CCIW, while the Firebirds improved to 9-6 overall and 4-5 in the league.
Carthage starter Kyle McKinnon set Augustana down in order in the top of the first and
Sam Cregan (Air Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.) benefited from a double play ball to face the minimum in the bottom half before the offenses got going.
Kyle Wise (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.),
Brett Benedetti (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) and
Jaden Dellitt (Mercer County HS, Aledo, Ill.) drew consecutive one-out walks in the second and one out later,
Jacob Barker (Windsor HS, Severance, Colo.) knocked in Wise and Benedetti with a two-run single to right.
Cregan's 2-0 lead didn't last long however, as Carthage had three straight singles to start the bottom of the frame. Cody Phelps followed with a bases-loaded triple to left center and the hosts led 3-2. An error led to an unearned run before
Josh Chamberlain (Legacy HS, Thornton, Colo.) came on in relief of Cregan. The Firebirds added runs on a sacrifice fly and an RBI double before Bryce Prybylinski's two-run homer to left capped the frame.
A bases-loaded walk to Wise forced in a run in the third to make it 8-3 and the Vikings had the bases loaded with no outs, but Troy Siranovic relieved McKinnon and induced a 1-2-3 double play ball and a ground out to escape further damage.
Carthage made it 10-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third before Augustana answered with three in the top of the fourth.
Zachary Vrbancic reached on an error leading off and Barker followed with a walk. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third,
Alex Simon (Hinsdale Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) plated one run with a single to right and
Mitchell Owens (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) another with a fielder's choice grounder.
Matt Ozanic (East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, Ill.) then pulled a double down the right field line, scoring Owens to make it 10-6 after 3½.
Siranovic and Viking hurlers
Jacob Irwin (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) and
Jacob Reusch (Mercer County HS, Aledo, Ill.) quieted the bats until the sixth, when Barker led off with a double down the left field line and later scored on a balk to make it 10-7. The Firebirds answered with a run in the bottom half on Johnny Belskis' solo homer to left center.
Carthage closer Jacob DeLabio blanked Augustana over the final three innings to earn his fourth save and Phelps gave him an insurance run with a solo homer to left in the eighth.
Cregan went an inning and a third and suffered his first loss in three decisions. Barker paced the Viking offense, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two driven in. Ozanic also had a pair of hits and Owens scored twice.
Coach
Greg Wallace's club is back in action on Friday, April 9, taking on Wheaton in a 5:00 p.m. single game in Carol Stream, Illinois.
