Simpson elimnated by Wartburg

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - For the second year in a row, Simpson advanced to the ninth game of the Iowa Conference Baseball Tournament. For the second year in a row, Simpson's run ended against Wartburg.

Third-seeded Wartburg scored three unearned runs in a fifth inning that spanned two days, beating fourth-seeded Simpson 12-11 in an elimination game Sunday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Wartburg advanced to play top-seeded Coe in the first championship game, where Coe captured the 2011 IIAC Tournament title with a 2-1 win and earned the conference's automatic qualification to the 2011 NCAA Division III Championship.

The Storm (23-18) led 11-9 after 4 1/2 innings when rain suspended play on Saturday, pushing the remainder of the contest to Sunday morning.

The Knights (26-17) did their damage right away on Sunday. In the bottom of the fifth, they took advantage of a Simpson error which allowed two runs to score. Michael Schinstock drove in the winning run on a single two batters later.

In all, Simpson committed five errors and allowed eight unearned runs. The Storm out-hit Wartburg 14-9 but stranded 14 runners to nine for the Knights.

Colton Calvert (St. Charles, Iowa) went 2-for-6 with three RBIs coming off a bases-clearing double in Simpson's eight-run third inning.

Leading 3-2 after the second, Simpson mounted the rally with two outs and took advantage of two Wartburg errors to score seven unearned runs and take an 11-2 lead. Blake Heitmeier (Mt. Pleasant, Iowa) and Drew Yarkosky (Albia, Iowa) singled in runs in the inning and Justin Svehla (Lincoln, Neb.) brought in another with a bases-loaded walk.

Wartburg responded with five runs in the bottom of the third and two in the fourth, widdling Simpson's lead to two runs when tournament officials decided to tarp the field.

Jake Barr (Henderson, Nev.) had a 3-for-6 day at the plate and Svehla went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored before leaving the game in the fifth with a hamstring injury. Yarkosky had two hits and two RBIs and Brad Agan (Knoxville, Iowa) singled and scored twice.

Brett Crable (Phoneix, Ariz.) threw the final four innings for Simpson, suffering the loss in his sixth appearance of the season. The left-hander (0-1) allowed three runs - none earned - off one hit. He came on in relief of Kyle Ruehle, who gave up nine runs - four earned - off eight hits in four innings, striking out four.

Ben Roemmich and Nate Rost each had three RBIs for the Knights. Joe Moen (2-0) picked up the win and Rost earned his sixth save.