Fast start powers Storm over Saints

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Simpson College baseball team jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back en route to a 8-2 win over the College of St. Scholastica on Tuesday.

The Storm's hot start was fueled by a three-run home run by junior Zach Fuller, who now has two long balls down in Florida. Matthew Marquez also plated multiple runs in the inning with a double to right field, his first run-scoring double of the game and fifth two-bagger of the year. Ty Cowley stretched Simpson's lead to 6-0 with a base hit to left field.

After the high-scoring first, Simpson's bats cooled off and neither team scored until St. Scholastica (1-9) pushed a run across with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Brady Held and Marquez then tallied RBIs in the seventh with a sacrifice bunt and a double, extending the lead to 8-1. Ryan Garlick hit a solo home run for the Saints in the ninth, but a double play by the Storm along with a strikeout from Andrew Weig prevented any more damage as Simpson (4-6) collected its second victory in a row.

Dallas Jackson picked up the win for the Storm after a solid start on the mound. In 6.0 innings of work, the senior gave up just three hits and allowed one run while striking out eight and walking one. Max Crooks and Weig combined for four more strikeouts as Simpson recorded its fifth game of the season with double-digit strikeouts.

Marquez notched his fifth multi-hit game of the year and tied his career-high of three RBIs while scoring once. Fuller's three RBIs were also a career-high and he now leads the team with two home runs.

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The Storm will enjoy a day off tomorrow before completing their Spring Break trip with a single game against Springfield on Thursday at 8:15 a.m. and a doubleheader against Wis.-Superior on Friday beginning at 2 p.m.