Simpson wins both games on opening day

JACKSONVILLE, ILL. – The Simpson College baseball team opened its 2024 campaign with a pair of three-run decisions in Illinois, defeating Calvin 5-2 and Wisconsin Lutheran 10-7.

Nate Cagley and Joel Sampson both hit home runs to fuel the Storm offense, while six pitchers contributed to the wins on the hill. Trey Castile and Easton Dunwoody were credited with their first wins of the season, while Dylan Schlee and Drew Carlson both came in to close out the games and pick up a pair of saves.

GAME ONE SUMMARY

• Patrick Gillen gave the Knights (0-2) a 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning.
• Simpson was quick to respond, scoring twice in the second with RBIs by Kasey Carter and Bryson Gibson.
• The Storm put up two more runs the following frame to extend the lead to 4-1. Dalton Ferrin opened the inning with a bunt and stole second before Nate Cagley launched a home run over the right field fence.
• After a pair of scoreless innings, Calvin used an RBI single by Ryan Schummer to cut Simpson's lead in half. However, the Storm answered once more with an RBI groundout by Ian Baldwin in the seventh.
• Sophomore Dylan Schlee, who recorded five saves last year, shut down the Knights in the final two innings to pick up his first save of the season.

GAME ONE LEADERS

• Dalton Ferrin: 3 hits, 1 run
• Nate Cagley: 1 hit, 2 RBI, 1 run
• Kasey Carter: 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 run
• Trey Castile: 5.0 IP, 2 strikeouts
• Dylan Schlee: 2.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs

GAME TWO SUMMARY

• Simpson fell behind 3-0 after the Warriors (0-2) pushed one run across in the second and two in the third.
• After back-to-back singles by Levi Herrick and Tyson McAlexander, a three-run homer off the bat of Joel Sampson propelled Simpson to a lead it wouldn't relinquish in the fourth.
• The Storm scored two runs in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings fueled by RBI doubles from Nate Cagley, Drew Carlson and Sampson.
• Wisconsin Lutheran hit a two-run bomb in the sixth and attempted a rally in the ninth, but the Storm shut the door with strikeouts from Dante Dolash and Carlson.
• Simpson finished the game with 18 strikeouts, with Easton Dunwoody registering nine and Dolash eight.

GAME TWO LEADERS

• Joel Sampson: 3 hits, 4 RBI, 2 runs
• Nate Cagley: 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 run
• Dalton Ferrin: 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 run, 3 stolen bases
• Easton Dunwoody: 4.0 IP, 9 strikeouts
• Dante Dolash: 4.2 IP, 8 strikeouts

NOTES

• With two strikeouts, Trey Castile passed Chris Donahue for fifth place all-time in career strikeouts (181).
• Dalton Ferrin's three stolen bases in game two were the most in a single game since Corey Rasmussen had three against Cornell in 2010. 
• This is the fourth time the Storm have swept their opening-day games under head coach Nathan Roling.
• Today's wins were Simpson's first against each opponent in team history.

UP NEXT
Simpson returns to the diamond tomorrow at noon to face Augustana (Ill.).