NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College baseball team led late but fell to the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets in a 9-8, 11-inning heartbreaker.
The Yellowjackets (23-11) were able to secure an early lead, plating a trio of first-inning runs while stringing together four hits. UW-Superior made it 4-0 in the third frame after Adam Johaneson singled in a one-out walk.
Carleton (9-22) rattled the bats in the third, with
Nathan Barnhart and
Sam Gossard walking to open the stanza and
Sam Chutkow singling in Barnhart. After a fielding error plated Gossard,
Will Schnepf lined a double to right center that scored another.
Wilson Taraday skipped an RBI single to right to tie the game, and
Brandon Damelin gave the Knights a 5-4 lead with a sacrifice fly to deep center.
Jackson Corcoran took the hill in the fourth, and stranded runners in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to keep the hosts up one run. Carleton extended its lead in the sixth after Chutkow struck out with two outs, but the ball slipped away from the catcher, allowing the senior to reach and a run to score. Chang and Schnepf followed with two-out singles to score Chutkow, making it a 7-4 game. The Knights tacked on another in the seventh after Taraday and Damelin singled to open the inning,
Andrew Sellers completed a perfect sacrifice bunt, and Barnhart drove in a run with a sharp single through the hole.
The Yellowjackets roared back into the ballgame in the top of the eighth after a hit-by-pitch, two hits, an error on a potential double play, and a two-run double from Owen Farrington tied the game at 8-8.
Ethan Chan entered with the go-ahead run on second in Farrington and no outs, but induced a strikeout and two soft flyouts to keep the game tied.
The Knights could not score in the eighth,
Ryan Chang threw a perfect top of the ninth, and Carleton left a pair on base in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Chang breezed through the top of inning 10, and the Knights left runners on second and third in the bottom of the frame when Taraday drilled a two-out pitch to deep left only to be denied by a diving catch from Wylee Arro.
Offensive substitutes Tanner Voight and Noah Dagostino singled to start the Superior 11th inning, and Chase Oxborough hit a sacrifice fly to center to give the Yellowjackets a 9-8 edge. Carleton put runners at first and second in the bottom of the 11th but again left a potential winning run on base in the loss. The Knights and Yellowjackets both registered 12 hits, with Carleton leaving 16 runners on base.
Barnhart had a 1-for-4 day, walking thrice, scoring twice, and stealing three bases. Chutkow registered two knocks, driving in a run and scoring one. Schnepf feasted with a 4-for-5 performance, including two doubles, two RBI, and a walk. Taraday had a two-hit day with a run and an RBI. Damelin also carded a pair of hits, pushing across one run.
Thomas Ivey made his second career start, working 3.0 innings and conceding four runs. Corcoran threw the middle 4.0 innings, allowing one hit and three walks, but no runs. The righty struckout a pair. Chan retired all three batters he faced, punching out one. Chang delivered 2.0 scoreless innings. Sellers took the mound for the 11th, and allowed one run while striking out one in taking the loss.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton contests its final road series of the season against Saint John's University on Wednesday, April 29. Game times in Collegeville are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
