DUBUQUE, IOWA (Duhawks.com) – The Loras College Baseball program (7-5) swept Simpson College (2-8) to open Iowa Conference play on Friday afternoon. Game one was a pitchers' duel, with just seven total runs crossing the plate in a 4-3 victory. In game two, Loras' hitting broke out to score nine runs in a 9-2 win. Sophomore Tony Heiser stole the show for the Duhawks, hitting a two-run home run to right field in game one to tie the game at three before driving in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Senior Adam Schwoebel got touched up in the first inning of the early afternoon portion, allowing two runs to come across. Schwoebel saw clear skies from then on out, cruising to a complete game. When his day was finished Schwoebel pitched 7.0 innings, allowing nine hits and two earned runs, while walking none and striking out three.

Loras wasted no time getting on the board in the second inning, when sophomore Nolan Ritter's single drove home senior Adam Kennedy. Neither team did much on offense for the next few innings as the pitchers really stole the show.

Heiser's two-run home run in the fifth inning swung the momentum in favor of the Duhawks, bringing much needed energy back into the dugout. The sophomore wasn't finished there however, with two men on and two outs, Heiser shot a quick grounder up the middle to bring home the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

The nightcap featured newcomer Alex Steines, who was looking to bounce back from a rough performance in Jacksonville. Steines, much like Schwoebel got off to a rocky start in the first, before settling down as the game progressed. The junior worked himself out of multiple jams and racked up nine strikeouts in the process. At the end of the day he allowed just four hits, two earned runs, and four walks in 6.0 innings pitched.

Unlike game number one, the bats made a huge impact throughout game number two. Loras scored two runs in the first inning thanks to junior Patrick Walsh who first provided an RBI double before coming around to score on a wild pitch.

Inning number five was huge for the Duhawk offense, driving in five unanswered runs. Leading the way was junior Lucas Jacque who notched his second two-RBI double of the year. His double nearly cleared the bases and sent the Storm down for good.

Coming in to relieve Steines was freshman Nick Spiess. The Iowa City West product tossed three hitless innings of relief allowing just one walk, while striking out two. His brightest moment came in the eighth, when he turned a rare "1-6-3" double play to end the inning and Simpson's hopes.

Game Changer
In the fifth inning of game one, sophomore Tony Heiser blasted a two-run home run to right field … With one swing of the bat, Heiser electrified the Duhawk dugout and brought their bats to life

Key Stat
Heiser finished the day 5-for-7 with four RBIs, three runs scored and a walk to lead the team in Triple Crown stats
 
Notable

Quotable
Carl Tebon, head coach
"Hitting is contagious, when you've got guys on base and someone gets a hit, the next guy wants a hit as well, when you get a pitcher in the stretch some balls get left up and we hit them well tonight in order to extend the inning and get some separation."
 
Up Next
Loras returns to the diamond on Saturday for games three and four of the series. First pitch from Petrakis Park will be at 1 p.m.