Buena Vista hands Central baseball team two losses

STORM LAKE — Traveling to the American Rivers Conference preseason favorites on Tuesday, the Central College baseball team was swept 10-5 and 11-0 by Buena Vista University.

Buena Vista outhit Central 31-10 on the day. The Beavers had eight extra-base hits to just two for the Dutch.

“You have to give Buena Vista credit,” coach Casey Klunder said. “They are swinging the bats really well.

“I’m still really disappointed with our effort. We just didn’t play very well either.”

Right fielder Colton DeRocher (junior, Sioux City, East HS) had both of Central’s extra-base hits, blasting a home run in game one and a double in the nightcap.

“It was fun for him to come back up to the area he’s from in Northwest Iowa,” Klunder said. “It was good or him to have a nice doubleheader.”

Center fielder/second baseman Logan McCoy (sophomore, Galva, Alta-Aurelia HS) and left fielder Chase Martin (sophomore Port St. Lucie, Florida., John Carroll HS) had singles in each contest.

On the mound, starter Brendan Short (senior, Normal, Ill.) took the loss in game one. He gave up eight hits and four runs in two innings. Caleb Evans (senior, Davenport, Central HS) kept Central in the contest with four innings of relief, allowing three earned runs and striking out four.

Game two’s starting pitcher was Kurby Vowels (senior, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS), who yielded two earned runs in five innings.

“Our pitchers battled,” Klunder said .”Kurby gave us a nice start and Caleb pitched well out of the pen. They were two of the bright spots.”

Central hosts Nebraska Wesleyan University this weekend in a three-game set, starting with a single game Friday at 3 p.m.

“They were third last year in our league and have a lot of returning players,” Klunder said.. “I look for them to be a challenging series for us.”