ELMHURST, Ill. - Carroll baseball continued CCIW play with a road doubleheader against Elmhurst University on Saturday afternoon, besting the Bluejays by scores of 13-7 and 8-4. In the two games combined, Carroll (14-13, 5-6 CCIW) had 32 hits, with seven going for extra bases in game one. Elmhurst (7-20, 1-8 CCIW) 16 hits on the day with four nabbing extra bases.
GAME 1 (13-7 Carroll)
Three Pioneer hitters, Joey Appino, Dalen Lamberson, and Jimmy Williams, had three-hit days, with Williams doubling twice and Appino tallying a double and his second home run of the season. Eddie Synek, Lane Scott, Brody Ferko, and Anthony Tado added to the hitting barrage in game one with two apiece and Gabe Lee and Thomas Ward contributed one base hit each to round out the attack.
Appino's leadoff at-bat set the tone for the rest of the day, as he sent a shot over the left field wall to immediately start the game at 1-0. Carroll steadily built an 8-0 lead over the first five innings, failing to plate a run in only one of the first five frames. The later innings were action packed as both teams plated at least one run in five of the last eight half innings. Elmhurst scored three in both the seventh and eighth innings as the game got as close as 11-7 in the Pios' favor. Dalen Lamberson sent two runners home in the ninth solidifying the Pioneers hitting attack as Roman Maguire came in to close the game out and give the Pioneers the game one victory.
Carroll utilized four arms in the first game, including starter Tyler Fredrick who threw seven complete innings and eamed his third victory of the season, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and striking out five batters. Joey Rivera, Brady LaMack and Maguire combine to close the final two innings, with Maguire collecting two strikeouts.
GAME 2 (8-4 Carroll)
Five Carroll hitters had two hits in the second contest with Ward going 2-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Pios. Appino, Scott, and Lamberson all reached safely with one hit apiece to round out Carroll's 13 hits in game two.
Game two started much like the first, as Carroll built a 4-0 lead through their first five trips to the plate. However, unlike game one, Elmhurst was able to bounce back, plating one in the fifth, two more in the seventh, and another in the eighth as the Bluejays tied the game at four heading into the final inning. After inheriting a run in the eighth, senior Connor Nolen retired the side in order and gave the Pios one last chance at the plate.
Carroll capitalized, with Williams scoring Preston Sanders on an RBI single to right field. A Bluejays' wild pitch and a Ward 2 RBI single added fuel to the fire as a once-tied game was now a four-run Pioneer advantage with three outs to go. Nolen made quick work of the side, striking out three more batters to bring his two-inning total to six and send Carroll home with a doubleheader sweep.
Carroll used three arms in the game two victory, with Dylan Eckrote earning the start and striking out six batters in 6.2 innings. Chayce Schultz contributed .1 innings of relief and Nolen threw the final 2 innings to close the game, striking out six batters and claiming his fifth victory of the season.
Carroll makes the quick turnaround with the end cap of the weekend conference series on Sunday afternoon, hosting Elmhurst with a 1 p.m. first pitch from Frame Park.
