Coe ends Central baseball team’s winning streak

PELLA – The bats were quiet for the Central College baseball team Thursday afternoon in an 8-1 loss to Coe College.

The Kohawks (12-10, 6-2 American Rivers Conference) snapped a five-game winning streak for the Dutch (9-10, 3-1 conference). Central’s offense was limited to three hits as opposed to 13 for Coe.

“After one time through the lineup, our guys left our approach a little bit,” coach Adam Carey said. “We have to find a way to keep playing our game when the odds are stacked against us when another pitcher has their best stuff.”

Third basemen Brayden Sawyer (sophomore, Grundy Center) provided most of the Dutch offense in the game. After leading off the eighth inning with a double, Sawyer came around to score on Logan McCoy’s (senior, second baseman, Galva, Alta-Aurelia HS) sacrifice fly. Sawyer also had a single in the fifth.

“Sawyer is so simple with everything he does,” Carey said. “His thought process and his swing are so simple. We need that out of a guy like him on a day when the offense is a little down.”

McCoy also had a double in the fourth.

Starting pitcher Chance Dreyer (sophomore, Davenport, Assumption HS) struck out five in 5.1 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits and two walks. Five of the seven runs came on two swings, a three-run double in the third and a two-run homer in the fifth.

“When you’re behind in the count, you give the batter a chance to get his best swing off and they did twice,” Carey said. “We’ve got a find way to get on top early.”

Parker Jones (senior, Verona, Wis., Verona Area HS) gave up no earned runs over 3.2 innings of relief, scattering four walks and two hits while striking out three Kohawks.

“Parker pitched through some traffic and found a way,” Carey said. “He did a good job of doing what he could to keep us in that game at the end.”

Central is at home again Friday for a 3 p.m. game against Buena Vista University.