Contact:
Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243
Apr. 12, 2022 - Battling 30 mile per hour wind gusts blowing in from center field all game, the No. 23 Loras College baseball team (23-6, 7-6 A-R-C) annd the University of Dubuque Spartans (14-11, 6-7 A-R-C) went head-to-head in their first game of a three-game split series. The Duhawks got on the board first but the Spartans prevailed, taking game one with a final score of 7-1.
After two innings of scoreless play, the Duhawks broke the stalemate in the top half of the third inning as
Joe Egan led the inning off by taking a pitch off the hip. A batter later,
Dakota Church moved Egan to scoring position at second on a sacrifice bunt before
Luke Fennelly put runners on the corners on a blooper into shallow left center field. Egan came home to score the Duhawks' lone run of the game on a
Max McCallum fielder's choice to take the lead 1-0.
The Spartans came back in the next two innings, plating three runs in the fourth and four more insurance runs in the fifth to secure the win.
Curtis Lilienthal got the start on the mound and dished 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts before
Nick DiBenedetto came in to throw 1.1 innings of relief. DiBenedetto allowed four runs on three hits, leading head coach
Carl Tebon to turn to
Danny Hiemer to close out the game. Hiemer threw the final 3.0 innings of the game, keeping the Spartans without a run or a hit in his time on the mound, posting two strikeouts.
The Duhawks and Spartans both tallied seven runs in the game with both teams playing short ball, neither side hitting an extra-base hit in the game.
Daniel Rogers and
Dylan Pardoe led the Duhawks' bats, both going 2-for-4 at the plate on the day while McCallum notched the Duhawks' lone RBI of the game.
The two foes will meet back up after the Easter break on Tuesday, Apr. 19 as the Duhawks look to bounce back and take the series win. The doubleheader is scheduled for a 3:30 PM start at Petrakis Park in Dubuque, Iowa.
