Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

ELMHURST, Ill. - The Elmhurst College baseball team kicked off CCIW play by dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Carthage College. 

Carthage downed the Bluejays 17-6 in game one, and the Red Men rallied to win a slugfefst in game two 25-16. 

CARTHAGE 17, ELMHURST 6  (Game One) - Carthage handed Elmhurst its fourth straight defeat by toppling the Bluejays 17-6. Leading 2-1 after three innings, the Red Men scored four in the fourth, three in the fifth, and seven runs in the sixth inning to blow the game open.

Nick Herrera led Elmhurst in the loss with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Herrera scored a pair of runs, drove in a run, and stole a base. Dan Matkovic blasted a two-run home run in the loss. 

Will Hodges led the Carthage offense by hitting for the cycle. Hodges finished 4-for-5 with a team-leading five RBI and three runs scored. Trevor Whately drove in four runs for the Red Men.

Cody Boals took the loss for Elmhurst and dropped to 1-1. Boals allowed 13 hits and 12 runs (nine earned) in 5.1 innings of work. He walked one and struck out three. 

Mario Perez earned the win for Carthage. Perez worked five innings and allowed four hits and three runs.

CARTHAGE 25, ELMHURST 16 (Game Two) - Elmhurst led for the majority of the game but Carthage erased an early 6-0 deficit and scored 10 runs in the ninth inning to score a 25-16 victory.

Elmhurst started the scoring in the first inning with six straight singles followed by a two-run double from Dan Bosco. The Bluejays led 6-0 after just one inning of play.

Carthage cut Elmhurst's lead down to just one after scoring five runs in the top of the third, but the Bluejays answered back by scoring four times in the bottom of the inning with three runs scoring on Brian Marquis' three-run homer. 

Elmhurst tacked on two runs in the fourth to take a 13-6 lead, but Carthage scored four in the fifth and three in the sixth to tie the game at 13. The Red Men took their first lead of the game in the seventh by scoring two runs.

The Bluejays came right back and recaptured the lead in the bottom of the seventh by scoring three times. Bosco's RBI single gave Elmhurst a 16-15 lead.

Carthage started the ninth inning with a bloop single from Matt Soderlund. After a walk and a hit batter, Whately blasted a grand slam to put the Red Men back on top. Joey Aiello added a two-run homer and Josh Albers smashed a three-run homer as the Red Men blew the game open with a 10-run frame. 

Zach Hofer led the Bluejays at the plate, finishing 4-for-6 with three runs scored and four driven in. He launched a solo homer in the second inning. Bosco finished 4-for-4 with three RBI while Mike Kerr finished 3-for-6 with three runs scored and two driven in. 

Whatley and Aiello drove in five runs apiece for the Red Men

Hofer dropped to 0-2 on the season after suffering the loss in relief. He surrendered six hits and even runs in two-plus innings of work. 

Eric Rohe worked two scoreless innings for Carthage to earn the win. 

Elmhurst travels to Carthage on Saturday, April 3, to finish the three-game series.