Central stymied in baseball loss to Dubuque
Central Dutch Athletics
DUBUQUE — The Central College baseball team finished its three-game series against the University of Dubuque Sunday, falling 6-0 in Dubuque.
Central drops to 9-8 overall and 0-3 in the Iowa Conference and with the win Dubuque improves to 6-7 overall and 3-0 in league play.
Sophomore hurler Zach Edwards (Des Moines, Lincoln HS) threw 7.2 innings, allowing nine hits, surrendering five runs while striking out seven. Edwards allowed just one run until the eighth inning before the Spartans scored five runs in the inning.
“I thought Zach threw the ball really well today,” said Schirm. “I thought he threw better than what his stat line showed. Dubuque was able to string together hits in the eighth inning and that was the difference.”
After going hitless in the first two games of the series, junior shortstop Garrett Saunders (Bonaparte, Van Buren HS) had two of the Dutch six hits.
“His first hit was a great drag bunt down the third base line and sometimes its those kinds of hits that allow a guy to break out of a miniature slump,” said Schirm.
Sophomores Tanner Wood (Pella), Joe Rebik (Marshalltown), Trevor Kimm (Urbandale) and freshman Nick Strysik (Crest Hill, Ill., Lockport Township HS) had a hit apiece.
Wood relieved Edwards to close the eighth inning, throwing 0.1 innings, allowing three hits, surrendering a run and striking out one.
“I’m happy with the way we pitched and played defense this weekend,” said Schirm. “We just have to figure some things out with our offense to get that back to where it was down in Florida.”
The Dutch continue league play Friday with the beginning of a three-game series against Buena Vista University. The nine-inning affair begins at 3 p.m. and Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. Live stats and webcast production will be available at athletics.central.edu.
