Baseball sweeps Loras, wins series 3-1

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Jake Barr drove in the game-winning run in game one and Michael Chia had three hits in the nightcap as Simpson swept Loras, 5-4 and 8-5 on Sunday afternoon.

The Storm (10-5, 4-2 Iowa Conference) won the series 3-1 after splitting Saturday's doubleheader.

Simpson 5, Loras 4
Jake Scieszinski tripled and scored the game-winning run on Barr's two-out single in the fourth and Brock Borgeson shut the door in the final 2 2/3 innings as Simpson won game one, 5-4.

Down 1-0, Simpson scored four unearned runs on three Loras errors to take a 4-1 lead in the third. Brett Crable drove in two on a single and Austin Burlin brought in a run on a groundout in the big inning.

Starter Gage Reis pitched well, but ran into some trouble in the fifth. With Simpson clinging to a 5-4 lead and a Loras runner at first, catcher Bud Smith gunned dwon Patrick Walsh on a stolen base attempt and Borgeson coaxed a groundout to end the threat.

Reis (2-2) went 4 1/3 in the win while Borgeson held Loras to just two hits in the final 2 2/3 for his first save of the season.

Simpson 8, Loras 5
Tyler Craig's two-RBI double highlighted a four-run fourth inning and the Simpson bullpen held on in the final four innings as Simpson earned the doubleheader sweep with an 8-5 win over Loras in the nightcap.

Simpson led 8-1 after five but pinch-hitter Eric DeSousa got the Duhawks (3-8, 1-3) back into it with a three-run homer in the top of the sixth.

Kyle Helmerson came into the game one batter later with a runner on second no outs, but the big righty retired the next three batters and held Loras to just one run on two hits in three innings of relief. Michael Wilson nailed down his first save with a hitless ninth.

Simpson relievers Borgeson, Helmerson and Wilson combined to allow just one run off four hits in 6 2/3 innings on the day.

Scieszinski (2-0) earned the win in the start, going five-plus innings and allowing four runs - three earned. The junior allowed just one earned run in the first five innings before issuing a walk, a base hit and the homer to DeSousa in the sixth.

Chia's three hits led six Simpson players with at least two hits on the day. He finished 3-for-5 with a triple and an RBI, Barr went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Jake Esdohr finished 2-for-3 with a triple, a double and two runs scored.

Up Next
Simpson hits the road for the first time in conference play when it travels to Central for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 1. The Dutch (9-6, 1-3) dropped 3 of 4 against Dubuque over the weekend. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.