Simpson tops Rams in rain-shortened affair

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Simpson College baseball team built a 9-7 lead over Farmingdale State before rain began to fall and forced the contest to be called midway through the eighth inning.

The win gives the Storm (6-1) four in a row as they head into the back half of their spring break trip. Simpson faces Clarkson tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET before closing out their run at the RussMatt Invitational with a Friday doubleheader against Illinois Wesleyan and a Saturday morning contest with Brockport.

Simpson jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after Kolton Arnold hit a two-run double and Luke Willis and Keaton DeKock followed with RBI-singles. The Rams (4-6) claimed two runs back in the bottom half of the first, but the Storm plated four over the next two frames to lead 8-2. L. Willis drove in another run in the second, Ryan Willis scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Miller, and Kaleb Bauer rounded home on a throwing error after knocking in the first run of the third.

Miller tallied the Storm's final run of the evening with a solo shot over the left center field fence in the fifth inning, his first of the year.

Matthew Meyer made his first start for the Storm, throwing three innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits. Dallas Jackson took over in the fourth inning, and Dunston Werner came in to pitch the final 2.2 innings. The senior allowed two runs on three hits in his first triumph of the season.