Furlong April 21, 2009

Central scores 18 but falls twice

PELLA—Despite putting up 18 runs in its doubleheader against league rival Cornell College Tuesday the Central College baseball was unable to come away with a win on a windy afternoon at the A.H. Kuyper Athletics Complex baseball field, falling 11-9 and 10-9.

Both teams benefitted from the strong winds heading out towards left field as Central and Cornell (6-20, 3-11 Iowa Conference) combined for 11 home runs.

A 3-run home run started the scoring in the first inning of game. After Central starter D.J. Glasgow (sophomore, Burlington) retired the first two batters of the game, Cornell drew a walk and a hit a single before hitting a fly ball to left that was carried well over the fence. Right fielder Jarred Lackey (sophomore, Somerton, Ariz., Cibola HS) helped the Dutch chip away at the lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, but Cornell homered to lead off the second and put up two more.

Central got a long ball of its own in the bottom of the second off the bat of catcher Blake Smith (junior, Polk City, North Polk HS) to cut the Rams lead to 6-2. Then in the third designated hitter Derek Knutson (senior, Richland, Wash., Yorkville (Ill.) HS) hit a 3-run shot to pull the Dutch within 6-5. But Cornell pulled away with a pair of 2-run home runs in the fourth, and scored a final insurance run in the seventh to score an 11-9 win in game one.

The Rams outhit the Dutch 18-7 in the game and were helped out by two Central errors.

Glasgow (4-4) lasted 1.1 innings and gave up six runs. He was replaced by Trevor Talbott (junior, Sioux City, East HS) who pitched 5.2 innings, giving up five runs and striking out five.

“We’ve got to give Cornell credit,” said Central coach Adam Stevens. “They swung the bats really well and weren’t afraid to take their swings.”

Game two saw more of the same as Cornell once again outhit the Dutch, this time 13-11.

Freshman Corey Eisenmann (Bloomingdale, Ill., Driscoll Catholic HS) got the Dutch off to a good by pitching 1-2-3 innings in the first and second. In Central’s half of the first the Dutch took a 3-0 lead thanks a 2-run homer by left fielder Caleb Rangel (sophomore, Rock Island, Ill., Alleman HS) and an RBI double by Knutson to drive in second baseman Mike Furlong (freshman, Davenport, Assumption HS).

They increased their lead to 5-0 in the second when Knutson drove in Rangel and third baseman Anthony Miller (sophomore, Davenport, Assumption HS).

Cornell and Central traded runs in the third as the Rams got theirs on an RBI single, and then catcher Quinn O’Brien (senior, Caroll, Kuemper HS) led off the Dutch half of the inning with a solo shot to left-center.

Then things started to unravel. The Central defense made a pair of errors behind Eisenmann who also gave up five hits in the inning. Before a fly ball to center ended the inning, the Rams had put up six runs and taken a 7-6 lead.

Both teams traded runs again and Cornell entered the sixth inning with an 8-7 lead. After Lackey reach on an error to start the bottom of the inning, Furlong hit his second home run of the game to give Central an 8-9 lead.

But the Rams loaded the bases with only one out and took the lead on a 2-run single before reliever Doug Eisenman (junior, Grundy Center) coaxed a groundball to shortstop for the inning ending double play. With the exception of a single by Miller Central went quietly in the seventh and Cornell secured the 10-9 win.

“We struggled on the mound, and we just didn’t get the job done today,” Stevens said. “There’s no excuses for it.”

Central tied the school record for most home runs in a single game with four in the second.

It’s a quick turnaround as Central (12-19, 7-11 Iowa Conference) leaves first thing in the morning Wednesday for a non-conference matchup with Martin Luther (Minn.) College in New Ulm, Minn. beginning at 2 p.m. Last season the Dutch swept a doubleheader in Pella against Martin Luther (9-19 overall).