Walk-off win gives Dutch baseball squad the sweep
Central College
PELLA — Coming alive in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Central College baseball team earned a walk-off 4-3 win to complete the sweep on the back end of a twinbill against Coe College on Friday.
The Dutch (6-9, 4-2 IIAC) won handily in the opener over the Kohawks (8-8, 4-4 IIAC) by a 13-3 margin.
In game two, pinch-hitter Michael Reuter (junior, Monticello) lined a double down the left field line with one out in the ninth inning. Usually the team’s starting catcher, Reuter delivered in a big way off the bench.
“It was huge to get someone in scoring position with less than two outs,” coach Matt Schirm said. “It really gave us some life.”
Two batters later, left fielder Spencer Gritsch (senior, Brooklyn, Iowa, BGM HS) drove in pinch runner Seth Griffiths (junior, Ottumwa HS) to tie the game. Second baseman Noah Stochl (junior, New Hampton) stepped up to the plate with a runner on third base, and won the game with a single through the right side on a 0-2 pitch.
“He didn’t let those first two pitches affect the last one,” Schirm said. “He was able to squeak one through.”
Getting the win in game two was reliever Billy Coppage (freshman, Fort Madison) who shut out the Kohawks in four innings of work after replacing starter Matt Schissel (senior, Milan, Ill., Rock Island Alleman HS).
“It was only Billy’s second varsity appearance,” Schirm said. “He really came up big in a tight game,”
Knocking in a season-high five runs in the opener was shortstop Garrett Saunders (freshman, Bonaparte, Iowa, Van Buren HS). Three of those runs came on a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning.
“He’s been our most consistent hitter all year,” Schirm said. “I know he’s going to have a quality at-bat nearly every time he’s at the plate.”
Central was in control the whole way in game one behind starting pitcher Dakotah Wolken’s (senior, Dillon, Iowa, East Marshall HS) complete game performance. He scattered eight Kohawk hits and allowed just two earned runs.
“He was awesome,” Schirm said. “He only had four days of rest. For him to have that type of performance again was outstanding. He really had their hitters off balance.”
Central will look to win the four-game series with another doubleheader starting tomorrow at 1 p.m. at A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex in Pella. A video webcast and live stats of Saturday’s games will be available through the Central athletics website at www.central.edu/athletics.
