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Loras College Athletics

Official athletics site of loras college
konagel
7
Loras LORM 2-4
17
Winner Grinnell GCBB 1-2
Loras LORM
2-4
7
Final
17
Grinnell GCBB
1-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Loras LORM 3 0 0 4 0 0 0 7 14 5
Grinnell GCBB 6 3 2 2 1 3 X 17 15 1

W: Sam Lopez (1-0) L: Moriarty, Patrick (0-1)

1
Elmhurst ELMHURST 0-2
5
Winner Loras LORM 2-3
Elmhurst ELMHURST
0-2
1
Final
5
Loras LORM
2-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Elmhurst ELMHURST 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2
Loras LORM 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 X 5 6 1

W: Tomaka, Tyler (1-0) L: Scrimpsher, Jordan (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Late Rally Pushes Duhawks over Bluejays

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (Duhawks.com) - The Loras baseball team defeated Elmhurst on Sunday afternoon, 5-1. The Duhawks took a 1-1 tie into the bottom of the eighth inning to rally off four runs and pull out a win in their last game of the weekend. In Loras' first game of the day, the Duhawks fell to Grinnell, 17-7. Junior Nick Spiess provided a stellar showing on the mound against the Bluejays, going 6 1/3 innings while allowing only one earned run on three hits as the Iowa City native struck out eight.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED 
Loras vs. Grinnell
  • Junior Danny Weis led the offensive charge in the top half of the first for the Loras, driving in senior Thomas Johnson on a triple to left field with two outs to give the Duhawks an early 1-0 lead.
  • Loras doubled its lead on a RBI double to right field by sophomore Jake Oglesby to drive in Weis.
  • Junior Michael Muto kept the two-out rally alive with a double of his own to left field, driving in Oglesby to extend the lead to 3-0 in the top half of the first. 
  • Grinnell responded to the early deficit immediately, putting a six-spot up on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning.
  • From the first inning on, it was all Pioneers, who scored in each inning the rest of the game, including three each in the second and the sixth.
  • Trailing 13-3, the Duhawks showed signs of life in the top of the fourth with back-to back singles from seniors Nolan Ritter and Luke Leibforh. Johnson drove in Ritter with a double down the right field line before junior Ryan Koester blasted his second home run of the weekend.
  • Grinnell tallied six runs over the final three innings to win by mercy rule, 17-7.

Loras vs. Elmhurst 
  • Elmhurst jumped out to an early lead in the top half of the first on a solo home run by Ben Havel. 
  • From there, Spiess settled down and found his groove, holding the Bluejays to three hits over the next 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight.
  • The Duhawks equalized in the bottom of the third with a two-out rally. With Johnson on first, two consecutive singles from Koester and Weis tied the game at one.
  • Junior Tyler Tomaka inherited a one-out bases loaded jam in the top of the seventh. He delivered by inducing an inning-ending double play to get the Duhawks out of the inning and keep the game tied at one.
  • In the home half of the eighth, Loras found itself in a similar situation and took full advantage.
  • Sophomore Danny Paluch's RBI single up the middle scored Weis and sophomore Sean Miller, who had come on as a pinch runner. A defensive throwing error by Elmhurst allowed Ritter to reach base and brought Muto and Paluch around to score.
  • The Bluejays strung together a pair of one-out singles in the top of the ninth before Tomaka got the next two batters out for to seal the win for the Duhawks, 5-1. 

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Danny Weis | The Oswego, Ill. native continued where he left off on Saturday by going 4-for-4 against Grinnell with a triple, one run scored and one RBI. Through the first five games of the season, Weis leads the Duhawks in hitting at .579. 
Nick Spiess | The Iowa City West prep pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing three hits while striking out eight. Spiess set single game career highs in innings pitched, hits allowed and strikeouts, despite earning the no decision.

NOTABLES 
  • Against Grinnell, Weis tied his career high for hits in a game with four, which was set last season against MSOE at Lenz Field
  • Loras recorded its first errorless game of the season
  • The Duhawks were 5-of-14 with runners on base, compared to Elmhurst's 1-of-7 effort
  • Against Spiess, the Bluejays' leadoff man reached base once in seven opportunities
  • Tomaka earns his first collegiate victory in his career in relief against Elmhurst, throwing 2 2/3 innings while allowing two hits

UP NEXT 
The Duhawks are back on the road next weekend in St. Louis, Mo. against Elmhurst in a rematch of this past weekend, followed by a doubleheader against Fontbonne. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday against Elmhurst, followed by a 11 a.m first pitch on Sunday against Fontbonne. Baseball fans can follow along on Twitter (@LorasBaseball) for in-game updates.