Jarred Lackey April 19, 2009

Central unable to hold leads against No. 9 Buena Vista

PELLA—The Central College baseball team held the lead in both games of its doubleheader with league rival Buena Vista Univ. Sunday but the No. 9-rated Beavers were able to come back in each game, defeating the Dutch 15-13 and 10-7.

The Dutch outhit Buena Vista 25-22 but walked 15 batters and committed six errors in the doubleheader. No lead was safe for either team as the lead changed hands six times on the day.

Game one seemed like déjà vu for the Dutch. After giving up three runs and the momentum to Buena Vista (23-6, 10-4 Iowa Conference) in the top of the fifth inning Friday, the same thing happened in the fifth on Sunday. Only this time Buena Vista led by six, not three when the Dutch came to the plate in bottom of the fifth inning. But the Dutch went to work on offense again, scoring seven runs to take a 10-9 lead.

It was patience that paid off at the plate. Center fielder Ben Tressel (junior, Dubuque, Hempstead HS) drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a single by third baseman Anthony Miller (sophomore, Davenport, Assumption HS) and scored on a double to center by left fielder Caleb Rangel (sophomore, Rock Island, Ill., Alleman HS). Right fielder Jarred Lacky (sophomore, Somerton, Ariz., Cibola HS) then grounded out to third but drove in Miller, and Rangel crossed the plate thanks to a double by second baseman Mike Furlong (freshman, Davenport, Assumption HS). With the bases loaded, a groundball off the bat of shortstop Tyler Wivinis was mishandled, allowing Furlong to score and kept the bases loaded for the Dutch with two outs. Central’s next three runs came in without a single ball being put in play as Tressel, Miller and Rangel drew consecutive walks.

Down to their last at-bat and still trailing by a run, the Beavers put up four runs in the top of the seventh to put Central up against a wall. Central refused to go quietly, and with the bases loaded and no one out Lackey singled to drive in two runs. Furlong was intentionally walked to keep the bags full, and pinch hitter Blake Smith grounded into a 6-4-3 double play that allowed Rangel to score. However the Dutch couldn’t drive Lackey in from third and the game was sent to extra innings.

Buena Vista scored twice in the eighth to take a 15-13 lead and this time Central had no answer. Sophomore D.J. Glasgow got the loss on the mound for the Dutch after pitching the eighth inning to fall to 4-3 on the season. Freshman Joel Pulliam started for the Dutch, going 4.0 innings and giving up six runs. Trevor Talbott gave up three runs in 1.0 inning of work, Josh Nalan worked a scoreless sixth, Rangel started the seventh and walked two batters before giving way to Doug Eisenman, and each gave up two runs. Dutch pitchers walked eight batters in the game and struck out five while Buena Vista pitchers walked nine and struck out nine.

In game two the Beavers jumped out to an early lead with four runs in the first inning, but Central scored three in both the second and third innings to take a 6-4 lead. Lackey and Furlong hit back-to-back doubles to start the third, designated hitter Derek Knutson (senior, Richland, Wash., Yorkville (Ill.) HS) singled to drive in Furlong, and a single by Dave Lakin brought Knutson in to score.

In the fourth, it was three straight singles from Miller, Lackey and Rangel that got the Dutch started before Furlong and Knutson each drove in runs on fielder’s choices.

But a six-run fourth inning gave Buena Vista the lead back right away. The Dutch tried to make another run at the Beavers, scoring in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Furlong but were able to cut no further into the lead.

Nalan pitched the final 3.0 innings of game two for the Dutch, allowing only one runner to reach base.

Miller led the Dutch at the plate with six base hits, one short of the school record for hits in a doubleheader. Rangel had three hits and four batted in, Lackey drove in four on five hits and Knutson recorded four hits while driving in two runs.

Central (12-17, 7-9 Iowa Conference) hosts league foe Cornell College (4-20, 1-11 Iowa Conference) for a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m. Cornell wont two of three against the Dutch last year with Central’s only win coming by a score of 6-3 in Pella.