WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll baseball returned to the friendly confines of Frame Park for the first time in six games on Tuesday evening, falling to Wheaton College (IL) by a score of 5-3in the CCIW opener. Carroll (9-8, 0-1 CCIW) had six hits and left 12 runners stranded in the game. Wheaton (7-11, 1-0 CCIW) produced 10 hits, including three going for extra bases. 

Lane Scott went 2-for-4 to lead the Pios' production at the plate while Brody Ferko led the Pios with two RBI. Dalen Lamberson, Eddie Synek, Nathan Crick, and Gabe Lee rounded all tallied hits in the contest to round out the Carroll offensive attack.  

Wheaton scored right away in the first to jump to an early 1-0 lead and followed that with two runs in the third inning off a 2 RBI double to gain an early 3-0 advantage. Carroll responded with two runs in the bottom half of the third, with an RBI ground-out from Lamberson and Scott scoring on an RBI hit-by-pitch off the right shoulder of Ferko. Carroll later tied the game in the fifth inning when Ferko reached on a fielder's choice, sending in Lamberson. 

The two teams went scoreless for the next three innings, but in the top of the ninth, Wheaton drove in two runs on a single to right field. Carroll appeared to have life after a lead-off single from Scott in the bottom frame, but he would end up stranded as the next three batters were retired and Carroll opened conference play with a hard fought defeat. 

Carroll utilized three arms in the contest, including starter Braden Lewis who threw six and two-thirds innings and struck out seven batters while allowing two earned runs on six hits. Chayce Schultz pitched two-thirds innings in relief, and Connor Nolen closed the game, striking out four batters, but allowing two earned runs and seceding the defeat. 

Carroll takes a three game CCIW road trip this weekend looking to right the ship. They begin with a doubleheader at Millikin University, with game one beginning at noon in Decatur, Ill.