Offensive outburst in opener leads Storm to split

TUCSON, Ariz. - Trevor Dudar drove in five runs in his Simpson debut as the Storm baseball team opened the 2016 season with a split against Marian (Wis.), winning game one 18-7 before falling 8-7 in the nightcap on the first day of the Tucson Invitational.

Playing in his first game with the Storm (1-1) after transferring from Midland University, Dudar finished 3-for-4 at the plate and had five RBIs by the third inning. He drove in the second run of the game on a groundout in the first and singled in a pair as part of a seven-run second inning that put the game out of reach. He added another two-run single in the third, giving him the most RBIs by a Simpson player since 2013.

Austin Burlin plated a three-run double in the second, joining Dudar, Luke Anctil and Hunter Hillyguys with three hits apiece. Brock Borgeson went the distance on the hill, allowing seven runs on 11 hits while striking out six. 

Simpson put up a crooked number in each at-bat, scoring the most runs in a season-opener in almost 70 years. The last time Simpson had that type of performance to start the season was in 1947, a 19-7 win over Iowa Wesleyan.

Simpson squandered a five-run lead in the nightcap, losing 8-7 after surrendering five runs on two errors in the bottom of the seventh. The Storm led 7-3 going into the inning before Cody Schaefer drove in the winning run on a single up the middle to complete the comeback.

Anctil reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Dudar had a solid start, allowing three runs on eight hits in five innings. Gage Reis was tagged with the loss after pitching the seventh.

Up next: Simpson plays Wheaton in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon. start time is set for 4 p.m. Mountain Time, 5 p.m. Central.