Derek Knutson March 15, 2009

Central falls to No. 24 Vikings

FORT MYERS, FLA.—A four-run ninth inning wasn’t enough for the Central College baseball team to overcome an early deficit as the Dutch fell to No. 24-ranked Augustana (Ill.) 13-9 Sunday morning.  “Once again we just made some mistakes today that really cost us,” said head coach Adam Stevens. “Against a team like Augustana you just can’t afford to give them more than three outs an inning.”

Central (2-5 overall) committed four errors in the game as Augustana (11-3 overall) stormed out to a 12-3 lead through the first four innings.                                                                                         

Starting pitcher Trevor Talbot (junior, Sioux City, East HS) went 3.1 innings before sophomore Shane Nelson (Iowa City, Regina HS) took over on the mound. Nelson worked 5.2 innings giving up one run in his first career appearance.

“Shane (Nelson) gave us some really good innings in relief in his first outing for us,” Stevens said. “He was very composed and he got some really good hitters out pretty consistently.”

The Dutch continued to swing the bats well, recording 12 hits including three from freshman infielder Tyler Wivinis (Downers Grove, Ill./South HS), and two each from outfielder Ben Tressel (junior, Dubuque, Hempstead HS), outfielder Caleb Rangel (sophomore, Rock Island, Ill., Alleman HS) and first baseman Derek Knutson (senior, Richland, Wash., Yorkville (Ill.) HS). Wivinis scored three runs for Central, and Tressel and Rangel each drove in two runs.

The Dutch will be in action again Monday when they take the field against the Univ. of Minn.-Morris (0-2 overall) at 2 p.m. Eastern time.