Contact: Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243

Apr. 24, 2021 - The Loras College baseball team (17-9, 12-8 A-R-C) closed out their weekend series against the Central College Dutch (9-17, 6-14 A-R-C) on Saturday evening at Petrakis Park. A dominant sixth inning saw the Duhawks score five straight runs to cruise past the Dutch and improve to 17 wins on the season. 

In the first game of the day, the Dutch struck first in the top of the second inning on an error that went on to score a runner from third to go ahead 1-0. 

The Duhawks quickly answered in the bottom of the third inning, putting three runs on the board after Luke Fennelly reached on a fielder's choice and advancing to second on a throwing error by Central third baseman Quinn Miller. Fennelly went on to reach third on a balk from pitcher Landon Vander Leest and crossed the plate a batter later after Max Cullen reached base on an error to tie the game at 1-1. Dylan Pardo followed with a single to right field to put runners on the corners for Dakota Church who went on to reach on an error and score Cullen from third to bring Bill Luzzo to the plate. Luzzo lined a single to left field that scored Pardoe and closed out the inning as Church got thrown out at third with the score at 3-1 in favor of the Duhawks where the score remained for the remainder of the game. 

Curtis Lilienthal earned his first win of the season, putting in 4.0 innings on the mound, allowing only one run on three hits and striking out three before Julian Lopez dished 2.0 innings. Ethan Peters got his fourth save of the year, throwing 1.0 innings and striking out two of the three batters he faced. 

Chris Costantino led the bats in game one, going 2-3 on the day with a stolen base while Cullen, Pardoe, Luzzo and Alex Kelsch eached racked up a hit apiece with Luzzo recording the lone RBI in the game. 

Game two saw a pitchers duel between Loras starting pitcher Davis Pasco and Central's Caleb Evans, with the scoreboard showing zeros until the top of the sixth inning as the Dutch struck on an RBI double to the gap in right center field. 

The Duhawks responded by putting up five straight in the bottom half of the sixth inning after Fennelly and Cullen led the inning off both getting hit by pitches. A groundout by Pardoe advanced the runners to second and third and a walk from Church loaded the bases for Luzzo to step into the batter's box. Luzzo hit a deep double to right center field that cleared the bases and put the Duhawks up 3-1. Costantino followed by drawing a walk to put Runners on first and second for Ryan Wohlers who hit a double to the gap in right center to score Luzzo for the fourth run of the inning. A sacrifice fly from the bat of Kelsch scored Costantino from third to give the Duhawks a four run lead at the end of the sixth. 

Two more runs crossed the plate in Loras' favor in the bottom of the seventh inning after Cullen reached base on a walk with one out, going on to steal second on a strikeout to put a runner in scoring position with Church due up. Church reached on an error and scored Cullen to pad the lead further at five runs to bring Luzzo to the plate. Luzzo lined another single to right field that scored Church and brought the score to the final 7-1. 

Luzzo dominated offensively in game two, driving in a career-high four runs in a 2-4 performance at the plate. Kelsch recorded two hits of his own, going 2-3 in the game with one RBI. Wohlers added another hit and an RBI for the Duhawks, joined by Cullen and Pardoe who each posted a hit. 

Pasco threw 6.0 innings in the game, allowing only one run on four hits with one strikeout before Owen Funke made an appearance in relief, throwing 3.0 innings with a strikeout to earn his first save of the season. 

The Duhawks are scheduled to travel to Waverly, Iowa on Apr. 29 to take on the Wartburg College Knights in an American Rivers Conference doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 3:30 PM.