Storm baseball sweeps opening-day doubleheader at Illinois College

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Simpson College baseball team swept its opening-day doubleheader against Illinois College on Saturday, winning game one 7-3 and game two 8-4.

The Storm (2-0) scored five unanswered runs and allowed just four baserunners in the final four innings of the game one win. In the nightcap, Simpson used a six-run second inning to build an early lead that proved to be the difference.

Five Storm pitchers combined to strike out 19 batters on the day.

Game One
Simpson 7, Illinois College 3
Brandon Urias drew a bases-loaded walk to give Simpson a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning, sparking a string of five unanswered runs for the Storm in the game one win. Luke Willis drove in two runs on the day – both on sacrifice flies – while Urias and Brady Held plated doubles.

On the hill, Held allowed two runs off three hits while striking out six in four innings. Trey Castile earned the win in relief, surrendering one run off one hit and striking out three.

Held and Castle combined to allow just four baserunners in the final four frames.

Game Two
Simpson 8, Illinois College 4
Simpson went station-to-station on the way to a six-run second inning, building a comfortable 6-0 lead. Kolton Arnold, Held and Noah Sacco had two hits apiece to lead the offensive effort in the nightcap.

Matthew Marquez, Arnold and Held all drove in runs on singles in the second inning. Urias scored on a wild pitch, Arnold scored on an error and Willis had an RBI groundout. Simpson never relinquished the lead.

Peyton Phillis and James Marcinkowski made things interesting in the third, hitting solo homers to cut Simpson's lead to 6-3. But Josh Breitbarth drew a bases-loaded walk and Urias hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead in the top of the seventh.

Trailing 8-3 in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Boys put together a big threat. A pair of walks and a Tyler Blum single loaded the bases with two outs, but Colton Major got out of the jam, striking out Bailey Reed to end the inning.

The pitching trio of Major, Brett Kauzlarich and Zach Hollingsworth combined to strike out 10 batters on the day. Kauzlarich logged the first three innings to earn the win, Major threw four innings of scoreless relief with five strikeouts and Hollingsworth finished the final two frames.

Up Next
The Storm return to action Wednesday, March 10 when they face Bethel (Minn.) in a doubleheader at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. Start time is set for 12 p.m.