Castile’s pitching, pair of big innings lead Storm to first home win

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Simpson College baseball team used a standout start from Trey Castile combined with a couple of big innings on offense to earn a 10-0 run-rule victory over Hamline in the first home game of the year Saturday.

The Storm (3-2) exploded for seven runs in the fifth followed by three in the eighth to earn their first home victory of the year. Castile threw seven of the eight innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out nine batters in the shutout win.

In game two, Hamline (5-3) took advantage of a number of Simpson errors to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning and win 6-3.

Nate Cagley led Simpson at the plate with five hits on the day, while Will Carlock tallied four hits and a team-high four RBIs.

GAME ONE SUMMARY

• The start of the game was a pitcher's duel between Trey Castile and Conor Mestemach as each held their opponent to just one hit through four innings. Castile registered six strikeouts for the Storm, while Mestemach had four.
• In the fifth inning, Bryson Gibson became the first Simpson player to cross home plate at McBride Field this season after drawing a walk and making his way around the bases via a passed ball and sacrifice bunt by Kasey Carter. He came home on Tyson McAlexander's base hit to right field.
• Dalton Ferrin, Will Carlock and Nate Cagley each followed with RBI singles to stretch the lead to 5-0, and Drew Carlson and Gibson added back-to-back doubles to make it a seven-run advantage.
• Castile worked two more scoreless innings before giving way to Andrew Weig in the eighth. The Pipers managed a single off the bat of Cade McGraw, but Weig coaxed a pair of flyouts to keep the visitors off the board.
• In the bottom of the eighth, Ian Baldwin hit a two-run triple and scored on Carlock's double to left field one batter later to secure the run-rule victory.
• Simpson outhit Hamline 12-4, highlighted by four extra-base hits.

GAME ONE LEADERS

• Nate Cagley: 3 hits, 1 RBI, 1 run
• Will Carlock: 2 hits (1 double), 2 RBI, 1 run
• Joel Sampson: 2 hits, 2 runs
• Ian Baldwin: 1 triple, 2 RBI
• Bryson Gibson: 1 double, 2 RBI
• Trey Castile: 7.0 IP, 9 strikeouts, 0 runs, 3 hits, 1 walk

GAME TWO SUMMARY

• Coming off four extra-base hits in the opener, the Storm added two more in their first two at-bats thanks to back-to-back triples from Joel Sampson and Dalton Ferrin.
• Ian Baldwin drew a walk following Ferrin's triple, and Simpson took a fast 2-0 lead with a fielder's choice on the next play.
• The Pipers tied the game with a two-run shot by Tyler Johnson in the top of the third and claimed a 3-2 lead with an unearned run the next inning.
• Simpson managed to level the game with a home run by Will Carlock in the sixth.
• Hamline took advantage of four miscues by the Storm to go ahead 6-3 in the eighth frame.
• The Storm left three runners stranded between the final two innings.
• Simpson registered 18 strikeouts for the second time this season, but could not overcome the defensive errors in the loss.

GAME TWO LEADERS

• Will Carlock: 2 hits (1 home run), 2 RBI, 1 run
• Dalton Ferrin: 2 hits (1 triple), 1 RBI, 1 run
• Joel Sampson: 2 hits (1 triple), 1 run
• Nate Cagley: 2 hits (1 double)
• Easton Dunwoody: 5.0 IP, 9 strikeouts
• Eli Feekin: 2.0 IP, 6 strikeouts

NOTES
Trey Castile moved up another spot on Simpson's career strikeout leaderboard, passing Joel Johnson (186) for fourth all-time with 190 strikeouts.

UP NEXT
The two teams close out the series on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.