Game #1 Boxscore
Game #2 Boxscore

Carol Stream, Ill. – The third-ranked Carthage baseball team swept a doubleheader from Wheaton on Saturday afternoon at Wheaton's Legion Field. Carthage was a 9-8 victor in the opener and the Red Men won the second game 6-0. Wheaton (9-5/0-2 CCIW) will host Carthage (12-0/2-0 CCIW) in a single nine-inning game on Monday at 3 PM at Legion Field (Link to Livestats for Monday's game). Monday's game is a start of a busy week for the Thunder that includes a CCIW doubleheader at North Central on Tuesday at 1 PM.

Carthage won the first game, 9-8 as the Red Men scored nine runs, on eight hits, with no errors and Wheaton scored eight runs, on eight hits, with three errors. Wheaton's Josh Weaver (2-1) took the loss in 1-1/3 inning as the starter. Thunder freshman Steve Dennison pitched 5-2/3 innings of solid relief as he allowed three runs, on four this, with two strikeouts. Carthage's Trace Ruffie (3-0) earned the win in six innings as he allowed eight runs, on seven hits and Corey Richardson earned his first save in one inning of relief.

Thunder sophomore Brian Kolb was 2-for-4 with a home run and a double. Senior Matt Bradley (PICTURED RIGHT) was 2-for-3, with three runs driven in. Senior centerfield Dan Falvey was 2-for-4, with a run scored and a RBI. Carthage centerfielder Boe Baitinger was 2-for-3, with a home run as he stole two bases and scored two runs. Red Men shortstop Seth Romano was 2-for-4, with two RBI.

Carthage jumped out to a 6-0 lead with six runs in the top of the second inning. Wheaton countered with five runs in the bottom of the third inning as Neal Reasland, Falvey and Charlie Antal hit three consecutive singles to load the bases. Reasland scored when Luke Munch was hit by a pitch with the bags full and Falvey scored when Weaver drew a walk. A Nate Pugh fielder's choice drove in Antal and Matt Bradley hit a two-out single to rightfield that brought Weaver and Munch home.

Carthage plated two runs in the fourth inning and another in the top of the fifth to increase its lead to 9-5. Wheaton cut Carthage's lead to 9-7 in the bottom of the fifth off of a sacrifice fly by Matt Bradley and a RBI-single to leftfield by Falvey. A solo home run by Kolb in the bottom of the sixth inning got Wheaton to within a run at 9-8; however the Thunder could get no closer.

Carthage won the nightcap 6-0, as the Red Men scored six runs, on 12 hits, with no errors and Wheaton was scoreless on five hits, with two errors. Carthage's Chris Krepline (3-0) earned the win with eight innings of shut out baseball. Krepline held Wheaton to just four hits, with 10 strikeouts. Wheaton starting pitcher Luke Munch (2-1) took the loss in seven innings as he allowed six runs, with four earned runs, on 11 hits, with four walks and three strikeouts. Sophomore John Little pitched two innings of scoreless relief, as he held Carthage to just one hit, with a walk and two strikeouts.

Weaver was 2-for-4 at the plate for the Thunder and Kolb hit a double with a stolen base. Steve Herzau was 2-for-4 for Carthage, as were Mark Sobol and Joe Ferro. Romano was 2-for-5 in the game.