By: Matt Jeter | Athletic Communications Student Assistant

April 11, 2023 - The Loras College baseball team completed their midweek series against the Simpson Storm in Indianola, Iowa with a competitive 10-6 win, winning the series two games to one in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) action. It took the Duhawks (16-10, 7-4 A-R-C) all nine innings in the back-and-forth affair to come out victorious against the Storm (11-16, 1-10 A-R-C).

Loras got on the board early in the first inning after sophomore Max McCallum tripled to start the game and a groundout by junior Nick DiBenedetto drove in the run. Simpson responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own. Loras responded in the top of the second when senior Mitch Gruber singled to left field to drive in fellow senior Tyler Pransky.

Loras was held scoreless, and Simpson pulled out two runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. In the top of the sixth, the Loras offense came back to life with two outs as Pransky hit a single to left field to drive in freshman pinch runner Ethan Gast to bring Loras within one run. With bases loaded, a passed ball advanced all runners as the Duhawks tied the game at 4-4.  A dropped third strikeout by senior Ryan Wohlers gave the Duhawks a 5-4 lead as the Storm could not complete the play. 

Simpson would answer in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game back up at five. In the top of the seventh with two outs, a sharp groundball back to the pitcher hit by sophomore Justin Gutierrez was thrown away, scoring McCallum from second to give the Duhawks a 6-5 lead. However, the lead would not last long as a Storm sacrifice fly would once again tie the game back up at 6-6.

With the game on the line in the top of the ninth, singles by McCallum, DiBenedetto and a hit by pitch by junior Daniel Rogers loaded the bases. With two outs after a fly out and a fielder's choice, Pransky came up to the plate and delivered a two-RBI single up the middle to give the Duhawks an 8-6 lead. The Duhawks added some insurance with a two-run RBI single by senior Dakota Church to extend the lead to 10-6. Senior closer Ethan Peters was able to shut down the Storm's threat in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory. 

Freshman starter Max Vaisvila went 5.0 strong innings with two strikeouts while only allowing two earned runs and leaving six runners on base. Freshman reliever TJ Boyd earned the win in this contest going three innings with three strikeouts while only allowing two earned runs. Peters went one inning with two strikeouts to close the game out. 

The Duhawks will be back in action this weekend with a series against the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves in Lincoln, Neb. The first game is scheduled for a 3 P.M. first pitch on Friday, April 14.