Derek Knutson March 20, 2009

Dutch doomed by eight-run second inning

CEDAR RAPIDS—The Central College baseball team was great defensively and on the mound for seven innings Friday.    

In those seven innings the Dutch surrendered only four hits and didn’t make an error. But in the second inning Coe clubbed six hits and scored eight runs to jump out to an early lead in an 8-2 win over the Dutch in both teams’ Iowa Conference opener.

Senior pitcher Adam Squires (Center Point, Center Point Urbana HS) was the starter for the Dutch working 1.1 innings, giving up eight runs and walking two before being replaced by junior Trevor Talbot (Sioux City, East HS). Talbot entered the game with runners on first and second but quickly retired the first two batters he faced to stop the bleeding and bring the Dutch to plate.

Coe (7-6 overall, 1-0 conference) was unable to get anything going the rest of the way against Talbot, who pitched 6.2 innings and scattered four hits.

But Central was unable to get anything going offensively either. The Dutch got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning after a pair of singles by first baseman Derek Knutson (Richland, Wash., Yorkville (Ill.) HS) and designated hitter Blake Smith (Polk City, North Polk HS) gave them two run on with one out. Then a single by catcher Quinn O’Brien (Caroll, Kuemper HS) was mishandled by the right fielder allowing both Knutson and Smith to come around to score and O’Brien to move up to second.

Four other times the Dutch moved runners into scoring position but were unable to push any across as they stranded eight runners on base in the game.

With the loss Central drops to 4-8 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. But the Dutch will get another crack at the Kohawks Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. in Cedar Rapids.