NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The fifth-seeded Carroll University baseball team lost to second-seeded Millikin University 3-2 in the opening round of the College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin Tournament at Zimmerman Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
It was a heart-breaking first-round road loss and fifth by a one-run margin this season for Carroll, which dropped to 18-22 overall in advancing to the prestigious double-elimination tournament for the second consecutive year and second time in program history.
The Pioneers are scheduled to face top-seeded regular-season champion and No. 15-ranked North Central College, 30-11, in a pressure-packed second-round elimination game at noon today.
The 17-time regular-season league champion Cardinals were upset by sixth-seeded North Park University 7-1 in another first-round game.
Millikin, the defending league tournament champion which improved to 26-14, led 2-0 after three complete innings but Carroll showcased its resilience by answering with two runs in the top of the fourth as Nick Angus delivered a one-out RBI single and first-team all-conference senior third baseman Benton Holly scored the tying run as the result of a throwing error.
The Pioneers utilized three pitchers in the effort including starter Ben Ellifson, Jake Nitch and Connor Nolen.
Ellifson, a senior right-hander from Oak Creek, Wis., was a force on the mound in allowing two earned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks through 6 1/3 innings. 
Nitch, a senior right-hander from Gurnee, Ill., came in relief of Ellifson in the seventh with one out and a runner at first base, walked the first batter he faced, forced a ground out followed by an inning-ending infield fly out.
He continued into the eighth, giving up a lead-off single. The runner then stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt.
Nolen, a sophomore right-hander from Poplar Grove, Ill., entered with the potential go-ahead run on third and one out, walked the first batter he faced on four straight pitches and yielded what proved to be the decisive run on a sacrifice fly out to center field.
Angus finished 2-for-4 to help lead a seven-hit offensive attack for Carroll. Brad Vosters, Trevor Benz, Lane Scott, Thomas Ward and Josh Kolb each followed with one hit.
Today's second-round battle figures to be an intriguing matchup and stir up exciting memories of Carroll's 11-6 10-inning second-round upset of nationally-ranked North Central in last year's league tournament.
The Pioneers are 0-2 versus the high-powered Cardinals this season, losing the initial meeting 17-4 in seven innings in a home-field conference showdown at Frame Park on April 10 and falling 13-2 in seven innings in a conference road game April 24.
Vosters went a combined 4-for-7 with one double and two runs scored versus North Central.
Stay up to date on Carroll baseball by going online to www.gopios.com, or by following the Pioneers on Facebook (Carroll University Athletics), Twitter (@pio_athletics), and Instagram (@pio_athletics)

CCIW TOURNAMENT
(at Zimmerman Stadium, Naperville, Ill.)
First Round
Wednesday's Results
No. 6 North Park 7, No. 1 North Central 1
No. 2 Millikin 3, No. 5 Carroll 2
No. 4 Augustana 7, No. 3 Wheaton 6

Second Round
Thursday's Schedule
No. 1 North Central vs. No. 5 Carroll, Noon
No. 6 North Park vs. No. 3 Wheaton, 3 p.m.
No. 2 Millikin vs. No. 4 Augustana, 6 p.m.