Bats wake up in doubleheader split with Grinnell

GRINNELL, Iowa - Dave Johnson, Brad Agan and Justin Svehla homered in game one Tuesday and Simpson split a non-conference doubleheader with Grinnell, winning game one 14-2 and dropping game two, 13-11.

Simpson's offense snapped out of a slump against Grinnell, churning out 25 runs while hitting .400 as a team and slugging .680. In the previous six games, Simpson hit .233 and slugged .253 while scoring 10 runs.

The Storm (21-13) used nearly every player at their disposal in the final non-conference contest of the season, sending 23 different players to the field in game one and 20 in game two.

Eight of nine starters got a hit in the opener, as Simpson pounded out 18 hits. Agan (Knoxville, Iowa) and Svehla (Lincoln, Neb.) hit the first home runs of their careers, helping build an 8-0 lead in the first two innings. Agan hit a two-run shot over the left field fence in the first inning and Svehla sent a three-run blast to the same spot in the second.

Johnson (West Des Moines, Iowa) moved into a tie for fifth on Simpson's all-time home run list in the sixth when he hit a two-run bomb, the 16th long ball of his career. He went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, moving him into second in program history with 109.

Trent Svehla (Lincoln, Neb.) went 2-for-4, Tyler Crandell (Ames, Iowa) went 2-for-3 and Brett Crable (Phoenix, Ariz.) went 2-for-2 with two runs scored off the bench.

Mark Butler (Lincoln, Calif.) struck out a career-high eight batters in the win, going five innings. Making his second start of the season, he improved to 2-0, allowing only three hits and one run.

Simpson nearly erased a 13-6 deficit in a wild game two, but stranded runners at second and third to end the game.

The Storm stranded a total of 12 runners in the game, committing four errors which resulted in six unearned runs for the Pioneers (14-15).

Down 13-6 after five innings, Simpson sent 11 batters to the plate for five runs in the sixth. Crable's two-run double scored the fourth and fifth runs of the inning, which was sparked by a leadoff triple from Johnson. The three-bagger gave Johnson 14 on his career, tying a program record.

With a runner on first and one out in the seventh, Taylor Nelson (West Des Moines, Iowa) doubled to right, putting runners at second and third. But a strikeout and a groundout ended the rally.

Mike Nodzenski did the bulk of the damage for Grinnell, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs. His first long ball was a grand slam in the second, erasing a 4-2 Storm lead. He followed with a two run shot in the fifth, finishing with three home runs and seven RBIs on the day.

Crandell, Crable and Ethan Hale (Clive, Iowa) each had a hit and two RBIs and Justin Svehla went 2-for-4. Kyle Pullins (Arkansas City, Kan.) fell to 0-1 on the season with the loss, allowing seven runs - three earned - in two innings.

Simpson (13-7 Iowa Conference) hosts league-leading Coe (25-10, 15-6) in a crucial three-game series to close the regular season this weekend. The Storm enter the weekend with a shot at the conference title, needing a sweep of Coe and a Wartburg loss to Loras.

Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday.

Click here for league standings and a composite schedule for the final weekend of the regular season.