Seniors power Storm to series win over Buena Vista

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- The seniors traded in their caps and gowns for hats and gloves, and powered the Simpson baseball team to a series win.

Just a few hours removed from Simpson's commencement ceremony Saturday morning, Curt Castenson went six-plus innings in his best start of the season, Trey Kehoe homered and Hunter Hillygus drove in three runs while collecting his 100th career hit as the Storm beat Buena Vista 10-5 in game one to take 2 of 3 from Buena Vista. Buena Vista won game two 6-0.

The Storm (6-27, 4-16 Iowa Conference) earned their first series win of the season with the game-one win, taking a series from Buena Vista for the first time since 2012. The Beavers (13-19, 9-10) snapped a six-game losing streak with the win in game two.

Game One

Simpson 10, Buena Vista 5

Kehoe launched a pitch from Gage Smart over the right field fence in the third inning for his second homer. The long ball followed an RBI groundout by Hillygus and gave Simpson a 4-1 lead.

Castenson (1-5) gave up five runs -- four earned -- eight hits and a walk while striking out four. The senior went 6 1/3 innings, tying his longest outing of the season on the way to his second career win.

Hillygus picked up his 100th career hit with a two-RBI double to the gap in left as part of a four-run sixth that made it 10-1. Scott Meier hit a sacrifice fly to left and Noah Sacco scored on a passed ball.

J Lowery recorded two quick outs to finish the seventh for Castenson and Colin Sexton fanned three in the final two frames to close it out.

Sacco and Jared Herzog finished with two hits apiece.

Top Offensive Performances
Noah Sacco — 2-3, RBI, 3 R
Jared Herzog — 2-4, 2 R
Hunter Hillygus — 1-5, 2B, 3 RBIs
Scott Meier — 1-3, BB, 2 RBIs
Trey Kehoe — 1-2, HR

Pitching Breakdown
Curt Castenson — W (1-5), 6.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks
J Lowery — 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Colin Sexton — 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 Ks

Game Two

Buena Vista 6, Simpson 0

Egan Bonde threw eight solid innings and Devin Wagenman had three hits for Buena Vista in the game two win.

Wagenman doubled off Sexton in the seventh for his second hit of the day, driving in Peyton Renning to give Buena Vista a 6-0 lead. Renning plated an RBI single earlier in the inning.

Bonde (2-2) allowed three hits without a walk while striking out five. Nick Henrichs allowed a hit and struck out one to close the game out in the ninth.

Kolton Arnold doubled to lead off the sixth and moved to third on an error but Bonde got Herzog swinging to end Simpson's biggest threat. Meier led off the seventh with a single but he was stranded on second after Truman Schmitt grounded into a fielder's choice.

Kehoe (0-6) allowed six runs, seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

Top Offensive Performances
Kolton Arnold — 1-3, 2B

Pitching Breakdown
Trey Kehoe — L (0-6), 6.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 Ks
Colin Sexton — 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Michael Sunga — 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 Ks
J Lowery — 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Up Next
The Storm close the season next weekend with a three-game series at Coe. The series begins Friday, May 4 in Cedar Rapids. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.