Game #2 - Carthage College 15 • Eastern Connecticut State University 4

 

Carthage Powers Past Eastern Connecticut

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – It was an offensive performance that left Carthage College coach Augie Schmidt flabbergasted.

“I never saw that comin’,” said Schmidt, who watched his team pound out 18 hits en route to a 15-4 win over Eastern Connecticut State University in an opening-round game at the 2007 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship finals.

“After playing close games in the regional, I didn’t get comfortable until there were two outs in the ninth. That’s not how we play. We’re used to playing close games.”

Carthage (37-11) advances to play UW-Stevens Point in a winner’s bracket game at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Eastern Connecticut (38-11) takes on Emory in an elimination game at 10:00 a.m. Saturday.

The Red Men, who have won a school-record 20 games, jumped on Eastern All-America pitcher Shawn Gilblair in the top of the first. Carthage scored three times, with Tyler Yapp picking up a run-scoring double and Chris Sajdak belting a two-run double.

Yapp, Sajdak and Steve Rucks had three hits apiece for the Red Men, and Rucks drove in three runs.

“It was a frustrating game for us,” Eastern coach Bill Holowaty said. “I don’t know why we came out and played like that. We were playing some very good baseball. You wouldn’t be able to tell by today.”

In addition to seeing its pitching staff hit hard by Carthage, the Warriors also committed five errors.

“We got out-pitched. We got outplayed today,” Holowaty said.

The Warriors were able to battle back in the bottom of the first, as Melvin Castillo picked up a RBI single to trim the lead to 3-1.

The Red Men started to separate themselves from Eastern in the third by scoring three times. David Hermes, who picked up two hits and drove in three runs, smacked a two-run double down the left field line. David Wuis then drove in another run with a single to right field, and that was it for Gilblair.

“I just didn’t have my best stuff,” said Gilblair. “That was it.”

Carthage starter Jeff Livek kept the Warriors off-balance all afternoon. He went the distance, allowed eight hits, struck out seven and walked three.

“I was almost effectively wild,” said Livek, who said he exclusively used his fastball and slider. “As long as I kept them guessing enough, they weren’t able to sit on a pitch.”

After Eastern cut the lead to 6-2 on Castillo’s run-scoring groundout in the bottom of the third, Carthage really put the game away in the top of the seventh. Leading 7-2, the Red Men scored six times on five hits in the frame.

After an error, Tyler Creekmore’s double and a walk loaded the bases, Boe Baitinger singled to drive in two runs. Rucks then picked up a two-run single to put Carthage up 11-2. Yapp followed with a run-scoring double, and Hermes then singled to score another run and the Red Men led 13-2.

Schmidt told his team it was the underdog and used that to his advantage before the game.

“I played that card,” Schmidt said. “(Eastern Connecticut has) four All-Americans and the Player of the Year on the hill, nobody expects us to win.”

Eastern added single runs in the seventh and ninth, and Carthage picked up two more in the eighth to finish the scoring.

The victory by Carthage creates a showdown between the two Wisconsin teams in the field of eight.

“I look forward to having two Wisconsin teams battling it out,” Schmidt said. “It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”

Joe Vanden Acker
Lawrence University Sports Information Director