Titans Swept By Red Men In Season Debut
Reed Hero knocked in the game-winning run in both games as Carthage College swept a doubleheader from the UW-Oshkosh baseball team on Saturday (March 14) in Kenosha.
The Red Men (2-0) defeated the Titans in the season opener for both teams by scores of 4-1 in the first contest and 6-5 in the second.
Hero drove home the winner in the bottom of the eighth inning of the opener and in the last of the ninth inning of the nightcap. He ended the day a combined 4-for-9 at the plate with one double, one run and two runs batted in.
In the first game of the day, three Carthage College pitchers limited UW-Oshkosh to three hits, and the Red Men broke open a tie game with three unearned runs in the eighth inning.
Tied at 1, UW-Oshkosh's John Eagan led off the top of the eighth inning with a double down the right field line, but was stranded after reaching third base with one out.
Nick Schmidlkofer began the Red Men eighth inning by reaching on an infield error and advancing to second base via a sacrifice bunt before Hero knocked him in with the go-ahead run on a double to left field. With two outs, the Red Men tacked on a run-scoring double by Jared Helmich and a run-scoring single by Zach Wade for a 4-1 advantage.
The Titans scored in the top of the first inning without the benefit of a base hit. Trent Whitcomb worked a leadoff walk, went to second base on a groundout, stole third base and scored on a passed ball with two outs.
UW-Oshkosh starting pitcher Ben Messenger stranded two Red Men in scoring position with one out in the second inning, but Carthage College tied the game in the third on a leadoff triple and a one-out infield single.
Carthage College's Tim Sulik pitched three scoreless innings to earn the win. Luke Mentkowski tossed a scoreless ninth inning for the save.
Sulik allowed one hit and one walk after coming on in relief of Red Men starter Kyle Cibario, who surrendered one unearned run on one hit and three walks in five innings. Cibario ceded his only hit on a single with two outs in the fifth inning.
Helmich and Wade had two hits apiece for Carthage College.
Messenger took the loss after allowing four runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven batters in 7.2 innings pitched.
Eagan recorded two of UW-Oshkosh's three hits.
In the nightcap, Carthage College tied the game at 5 with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning and walked off with the victory in the ninth.
Trailing 5-4, Carthage College's Anthony Fortunato walked to lead off the seventh inning and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Fortunato took third base on a fly out to right field and crossed the plate on Schmidlkofer's base hit to left field.
UW-Oshkosh's Jack Paulson coaxed a two-out walk in the eighth inning, stole second base and reached third on an error, but the Titans grounded out to end the threat.
The Red Men and Titans were retired in order in the bottom of the eighth inning and the top of the ninth, respectively, setting up Hero's heroics.
Carthage College loaded the bases in the ninth inning on a single, an error on a sacrifice bunt, and an intentional walk before Hero hit a single to left field to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Hero ended the game 3-for-4 while DiMaso and Schmidlkofer both added two hits for the Red Men, who had nine singles among their 10 hits.
Brandon Hrdlicka was credited with the win for Carthage College by allowing one run in 4.1 innings of relief. He yielded three hits and two walks while striking out three.
Carthage College starting pitcher Josh Daniels gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks while striking out four in 4.2 innings.
UW-Oshkosh opened the scoring in the second inning on an Andy Brahier groundout.
Carthage College took a 3-1 lead before recording an out in the bottom of the second inning. Following a single and a walk, Helmich knocked in one run with a double, and Wade followed with a two-run single to center field.
The Titans reclaimed a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning on a Robbie Kleman groundout and a two-out single by Skyler Bohn.
The Red Men knotted the score at 4 in the bottom of the fifth after Fortunato singled to lead off the frame, stole second and came around on a single by Luc DiMaso.
The Titans took a 5-4 advantage in the sixth inning on Jack Paulson's single that brought home Tyler Kozlowski, who led off the frame with a single and stolen base. However, the Red Men induced a double-play ground ball and worked around a two-out single by Brahier to escape further damage.
UW-Oshkosh's Ryan Chancellor was saddled with the loss. He allowed one unearned run on two hits and one walk in 1.1 innings pitched.
Peter Jewell started on the mound for UW-Oshkosh, allowing four runs in four innings pitched. He ceded six hits and one walk while striking out one.
Brahier paced the Titan offense with three hits, including one double, and two runs scored. Kozlowski added two runs and two stolen bases.
The Titans (0-2) and Red Men wrap up their weekend series with a single game on Sunday (March 15) in Kenosha.