Storm begin Florida trip with extra-inning victory

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – An RBI single from Ryan Willis in the top of the ninth propelled the Simpson College baseball team to a 2-1 extra-inning victory in its first game of the 2023 RussMatt Invitational.

The win earned the Storm (2-6) a split with Ohio Northern (4-3) as the Polar Bears won the second game of the doubleheader by a score of 9-3.

Game 1: Simpson 2, Ohio Northern 1 (9 innings)
The Polar Bears loaded the bases in the bottom of the first and pushed an unearned run across with a sacrifice fly to left field. After two scoreless innings which saw Simpson strand four runners, the Storm tied the game at one apiece. Will Carlock started the frame with a single, moved to second on a walk and came around to score on an error by the infield.

In the top of the ninth, Simpson loaded the bases with three straight singles from Sam Porter, Carlock and Brennen Lemke. With one out recorded, Willis brought pinch runner Dalton Ferrin home with his second hit of the game. The Storm totaled eight hits in the contest, with four coming in their final half inning. 

Dylan Schlee picked up his first win on the mound after coming in for Trey Castile in the eighth inning. The duo held the Polar Bears to three hits while striking out five and walking one.

Game 2: Ohio Northern 9, Simpson 3
Ohio Northern took a 1-0 lead in game two as well, but Simpson answered with a run in the bottom of the first and second frames for a 2-1 edge. Porter drove in the first run with a single through the left side and Ty Cowley put the Storm ahead with a sacrifice fly.

The Polar Bears tied the game in the fourth inning before pulling away for good with five runs on a pair of home runs in the fifth. Bennett Wadstrom tallied the Storm's final run of the day on a wild pitch in the seventh.

Up Next
The Storm have an early-morning matchup with Beloit tomorrow. First pitch of the 9-inning game is set for 9:30 a.m. ET.