Dominant effort in Dutch baseball win
Central Dutch Athletics
PELLA — Piling up 10 runs on 15 hits and holding the University of Dubuque off the scoreboard, the Central College baseball team took a 10-0 win in the opening of a three-game series Friday night.
Central improved to 18-10 (8-9 American Rivers Conference) while the Spartans dropped to 16-10-1 (6-8 conference)
“This is a big win for us, Dubuque is a solid team,” coach Matt Schirm said. “We finally put it all together and it felt good.”
Nick Long (junior, Marshalltown, East Marshall HS) returned to form with a stellar outing on the mound. He threw six scoreless innings with six strikeouts despite three walks and six hits allowed.
“He just battled,” Schirm said. “I don’t think he had his best stuff, but he came up with big pitches when he needed them and got out of a couple of jams.”
Nathan Schwanke (sophomore, Omaha, Neb., Concordia HS) and Ben Wallace (freshman, Knoxville) got the final six outs to preserve the shutout.
Joe Rebik (junior, Marshalltown) got his first start at designated hitter this season and drove in three runs. His two-run single in the sixth pushed Central’s lead to 7-0.
“It was good to see Joe get going again,” Schirm said. “He’s had tough luck with injuries this year. He’s finally healthy and hopefully we can get him going for the stretch run.”
Lucas Farren (sophomore, left fielder, Yorkville, Ill.), Garrett Saunders (senior, shortstop, Bonaparte, Van Buren HS) and Wallace all had three-hit performances.
“Lucas didn’t play a whole lot early in the season but has willed his way into the lineup,” Schirm said. “You can count on him to have quality at-bats frequently and he plays great defense. Now that he’s getting pretty consistent opportunities, he’s been a great addition to our lineup.”
First basemen Ryan Bouwman (senior, Bloomington, Ill., Normal HS), catcher Trevor Kimm (junior, Urbandale) and Wallace each had two RBIs
Saturday’s doubleheader between the Dutch and Spartans will start at 1 p.m. on Central’s home field at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex. A video webcast and live stats of Saturday’s action can be accessed through the Central athletics website at athletics.central.edu
“It’s good to get the first one,” Schirm said. “Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and get the first win to seal the series up and then go for the sweep in game two.”
