Carthage 5, Illinois Wesleyan 4 - Box Score

North Central 7, Illinois Wesleyan 5 - Box Score

2011 CCIW Tournament Schedule, Results

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  - Friday the 13th proved unlucky for the Illinois Wesleyan baseball Titans as they were eliminated from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament with a 5-4 ninth inning loss to Carthage and a 7-5 loss to No. 4 seed North Central.

Defending national champion Illinois Wesleyan fell to 26-16 and will be at the mercy of the selection committee on Monday, May 16 to see if it receives a bid to the NCAA Division III regional that will be held at Horenberger Field with or without IWU beginning next Wednesday.

North Central (22-15) advances to meet the Red Men (27-11) at noon Saturday, May 14, for the automatic bid into the NCAA Division III regional. The Cardinals would need to beat Carthage twice.

In the North Central game, IWU fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but a double by sophomore catcher A.J. Nathan and a two-run home run from sophomore first baseman Kevin Callahan tied the game at 2-2.

The Titans went ahead 5-3 after three but scored no runs the remainder of the game and left 11 men on base. In the third, senior centerfielder Ryan Hopp tripled to right field and Nathan walked before Callahan singled to bring in Hopp. Freshman designated hitter Bobby Czarnowski singled to right field to score Nathan and send Callahan to second. After an out and a single by freshman second baseman Johnathan Erickson, senior third baseman Jeff Grodecki chased in Callahan with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

Junior righthander Joe Sweeney (6-4) pitched six innings and allowed seven runs (four earned) on 14 hits while striking out four and walking one. The Cardinals got five hits in 1 2/3 innings off reliever Anthony Kopp and junior lefty Pat Hayn pitched 1 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings.

Against Carthage earlier in the day, sophomore lefthander Nick Mehn fell to 6-2 with the loss as he allowed nine hts in 8 2/3 innings before surrendering the game-winning homer by Mike Pugliese, who had only six hits prior to today's game.

The Titans scored the go-ahead run in the seventh when Hopp led off with an infield single and went to second on a sacrifice by Nathan. After a walk to Callahan and a flyout by Czarnowski, junior leftfielder Mark McDermott singled up the middle to bring home Hopp.

The Titans trailed 3-0 before scoring three in the sixth to tie the game. Nathan reached on an error and Callahan was hit by a pitch. Czarnowski forced Callahan at second on a fielder's choice before McDermott doubled to right center to score Nathan and Czarnowski. Erickson then doubled to right center to score McDermott and tie the game.