WAUKESHA, Wis. — The Carroll University baseball team came up just short Tuesday afternoon in a wild, high-scoring CCIW matchup, falling 19-16 to North Central at Frame Park.

Carroll jumped out to a strong start, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning to grab early momentum. Joey Appino highlighted the frame with a two-run home run, and Dalen Lamberson followed with a two-run blast of his own as the Pioneers built a 5-0 advantage. Carroll added three more runs in the second inning, keyed by a two-run single from Jimmy Williams, to extend the lead to 8-0.

North Central responded in the third inning, plating five runs to cut into the deficit, and the Cardinals would eventually take the lead with a five-run fifth inning. North Central continued to capitalize on extra-base hits and timely offense, building a cushion despite Carroll's continued pressure.

The Pioneers refused to go quietly, answering with a four-run sixth inning that included RBI contributions from Evan Becker, Leo Matuga, and Joshua Bell. Carroll added three more runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to keep the game within reach, trimming the deficit to three heading into the later innings.

Offensively, Carroll totaled 18 hits on the afternoon, led by Appino, who finished 5-for-6 with five runs scored and two RBI. Lamberson added three hits and three RBI, while Matuga went 3-for-6 with two RBI. Eddie Synek recorded a multi-hit, two-RBI effort, and Williams drove in two runs as well.

Despite the offensive output, North Central's early surge and continued pressure proved too much to overcome.

Carroll moves forward from the contest, taking positives from its offensive performance as it continues conference play. Their next opportunity comes this weekend as they have a 3-game series with Millikin starting Saturday at 5pm in Decatur.