Pitching, timely hitting lead Storm to twinbill sweep at Central
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Simpson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
|
Central (Iowa) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Simpson | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
|
Central (Iowa) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
PELLA, Iowa -- The Simpson College baseball team swept its series-opening doubleheader against Central on Friday. The Storm won a close-knit battle in game one, 1-0, after scoring in the seventh and ended the day with a 5-3 triumph.
Brady Held tallied his fifth-straight complete-game effort for Simpson (15-21, 12-18 A-R-C) on the bump in the opener. Colton Major tossed six strong innings to earn his fourth win of the season, while Brett Kauzlarich recorded the save in the nightcap.
Game One: Simpson 1, Central 0
Simpson recorded the game's only run in the top of the seventh to win its fifth one-run game of the season.
The Dutch (13-23, 10-20 A-R-C) grabbed two quick outs, so the Storm put on a rally. TJ Stephenson started the comeback effort with a double, before coming around to score after Central's third baseman committed a throwing error on Brennen Lemke's ball in play. Held worked a one-two-three frame to shutout the hosts.
The Dutch threatened early with runners on second and third with just one out in the first. Held induced an inning-ending double play to keep it scoreless.
Simpson had a chance to open the scoring lid in the fourth. Held singled to left for the team's first hit of the game and was moved to second on a hit by Kolton Arnold. Central forced a fly out to keep the visitors off the board.
Held allowed just four hits while striking out seven batters. Stephenson finished with the game's only extra-base hit.
Game Two: Simpson 5, Central 3
Stephenson kept the form for game two by ripping an RBI triple in the top of the second to plate the game's first run. Keaton DeKock singled back up the middle to score Stephenson.
Central mimicked the Storm in the bottom of the second with its own RBI triple, before a groundout scored the runner to knot the game at 2-2.
Josh Breitbarth earned his 19th RBI of the season in the third to put the Storm up 3-2. Simpson added a pair of runs in the fourth, led by a run-scoring double from Chris Miller.
Major allowed just one hit during his final three innings of work to keep the 5-2 buffer. He finished with six strikeouts and Kauzlarich had two.
Ryan Willis, Miller and Stephenson all ended with two hits.
Up Next
The two teams will finish the series Sunday in a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. in Pella, Iowa
