TUCSON, Ariz. — Erik Fabry’s (Sr./Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) go-ahead three-run home run broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning, propelling the Carleton College baseball team to a 8-6 victory over No. 13 Carthage College in the Spring Break finale for the Knights. Paul Dimick (Sr./Northfield, Minn.) picked up his first victory of the year, allowing three runs over seven innings of work. This is the Knights’ first victory over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 7 St. Thomas in 2009.
After three scoreless innings, Carthage (2-4) solved Dimick for two runs in the fourth on a pair of singles and a double. The Red Men tacked on another run in the fifth after Joey Ariello doubled down the right field line and later scored on a sacrifice fly.
Carleton would get on the scoreboard against Carthage starter Jon Kleinmeyer (0-1), taking advantage of two hits batsmen and an error. Fabry and Patrick Philley (Sr./Gig Harbor, Wash./Charles Wright Academy) each had RBI singles to cut the deficit to one run.
The Knights would take the lead in the seventh inning after Kevin Johnson (So./St. Anthony, Minn./De La Salle) walked, stole second, and was bunted over to third. Catcher Alex Wirta (Sr./Corte Madera, Calif./Redwood) hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Johnson. With two outs and nobody on, the Knights were not finished as two consecutive singles forced Kleinmeyer from the game. Fabry greeted Mitch Lochen, the new Carthage reliever, with a towering home run to left.
Anderson Cole (So./Aspen, Colo.) relieved Dimick and pitched a scoreless eighth inning, working around a Carleton error.
Carleton added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning on David Stillerman’s (So./Evanston, Ill.) two-out, two-run single through the right side. The runs would prove to be crucial as Carthage rallied in the ninth on Ariello’s three-run homer to right. With the tying run at the plate, Cole got a fly out to right to end the game, picking up his first collegiate save.
After a couple of hard-luck losses, Dimick notched his first victory of the season scattering eight hits over seven innings of work.
The Knights will head back home to host North Central University on Thursday, March 29. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
