Blake Smith March 14, 2009

Dutch win, loss end with walk-offs

 

FORT MYERS, FLA.—The Central College baseball team trailed by three runs in the ninth inning but a Jarred Lackey (sophomore, Somerton, Ariz., Cibola HS) walk-off base hit gave the Dutch a 13-12 victory over the Coast Guard Academy (Conn.) in their first game Saturday morning before a walk-off hit dropped them in a 5-4 loss to Bethel (Minn.) in the afternoon.

 

Central (2-4 overall) didn’t have time to celebrate their before heading to another field to finish its game against Bethel from Feb. 28 at the Metrodome. The game picked up with the Dutch leading 4-2 in the sixth inning.

“Right after the game against Coast Guard we had to get out stuff out of the dugout and basically sprint to the other field to finish the Bethel game,” said Stevens. “It was pretty hectic.”

Sophomore pitcher/outfielder Caleb Rangel (Rock Island, Ill., Alleman HS) was the pitcher of record in both games, accumulating a win and a loss and bringing his season record to 1-1. Senior Adam Squires (Center Point, Center Point Urbana HS) started on the mound for Central and gave way to juniors Josh Nalan (Sheffield, SCMT HS) and Doug Eisenman (Grundy Center) and Rangel in relief.

Freshman shortstop Mike Furlong (Davenport, Assumption HS) and junior catcher Blake Smith (Polk City, North Polk HS) had three hits apiece against Coast Guard, leading Central to their third straight game with at least 16 hits and scoring double-digit runs. Rangel, Lackey, first baseman Derek Knutson (senior, Richland, Wash., Yorkville (Ill.) HS) and third baseman Anthony Miller (sophomore, Davenport, Assumption HS) each had two hits.

Central led 4-0 after three innings against Coast Guard (4-4 overall), but a three-run fourth and a five-run sixth gave Coast Guard an 8-6 lead. Central trailed 9-6 before plating three runs in the bottom of the seventh to knot it at 9-9.

The stage was set for a comeback when Coast Guard put up three runs in the ninth to pull away from Central, but the Dutch weren’t ready to give up. Coast Guard recorded only one out before  Lackey’s base hit drove across outfielder Ben Tressel (junior, Dubuque, Hempstead HS) for the winning run.

“Anytime you’re down three runs in your last at-bat and you end up winning it’s a great feeling,” said Stevens. “So far our guys have shown that they’re willing to fight and that they’re not going to give up.

“But we’ve been in these situations because we’ve made some mental mistakes, and that’s something we’ve got to improve on. And I think we will with some more experience.”

Central will only play one game Sunday, facing off against No. 24-ranked Augustana (Ill.) (9-3 overall) at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. Central last played Augustana on April 24, 2006, falling 13-9 in Rock Island, Ill.