Ninth-inning rally spells doom for Central baseball

Central College

TUCSON, ARIZ. — A two-run ninth inning by Hamline (Minn.) proved the difference as the Central College baseball team lost 6-4 to the Pipers Thursday.

Down 4-3 going into the bottom of the eighth, the Dutch (3-4) got an RBI single from Zach Brown (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Xavier HS) to knot the game up at 4-4. The Pipers (6-3) used three hits and a Dutch error to punch across two runs in the top of the ninth to win 6-4.

After giving up 25 runs the previous two games, Central got a great performance from its starting pitcher, Dylan Diveney (freshman, Marshalltown) who struck out seven in 7.2 innings of work. He scattered seven hits and allowed just one walk for a no-decision in first collegiate start.

“Dylan pitched extremely into the eighth inning,” coach Matt Schirm said. “He pitched well enough to win, we just couldn’t get it done for him.

Brown and Spencer Gritsch (junior, Brooklyn, Iowa, BGM HS) provided much of the offense for the Dutch. The duo had four of the team’s seven hits, including an RBI triple by Gritsch and RBI double by Brown. Beyond Brown and Gritsch, Schirm was disappointed in his team’s performance at the plate.

“We haven’t put all three phases, pitching, offense, and defense, together in one game yet,” Schirm said “Today it was the offense that struggled. We faced some pitchers that I think we should have done a better job against.”

Central will take on Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) tomorrow in a doubleheader starting at noon CDT.

College baseball
at Tucson, Ariz.

Game 1

Hamline 010 300 002—6 10 0

Central 020 100 010—4 7 3

Smith, Roesller and Berumen/Dandrea; Diveney, Brown and Frideres. W—Smith (1-0); L—Brown (0-1). Central 3-4, Hamline 6-3