DUBUQUE, Iowa- The Purple and Gold were brought back down to Earth in game one against the Storm with a 20-7 loss but fought back and walked-off their foes in game two 8-7.

Game one left Loras (14-14, 8-7 A-R-C) with a lot to dwell on, as they were blitzed by Simpson (19-11, 10-5 A-R-C).

The Storm forced Carson Hammer out of the game after just two innings of action, in which he gave up three earned runs, but nine runs in total. This sort of onslaught against Hammer has been rare occurrence, as the sophomore entered the contest with an ERA sitting below three.

The early nine run lead would only build for the visitors, as they continued to pour runs, while simultaneously stifling the Duhawk bats.

Vince McDowell and Vince Polizzi were the two offensive high points for the Purple and Gold, with Polizzi notably mashing his 10^th home run of the season, putting him squarely in second place all-time in Loras history for career homers.

Despite this, the Duhawks would fall to the Storm in game one and needed a spark against the American Rivers Conference's best arm in the second game.

They got exactly that in the second inning.

Cody Sunny knocked a double to right field, eventually scoring Jack Carney. Then immediately after, Joey Gumuls singled up the middle, plating Sunny. But Loras wasn't quite done yet, as the Purple and Gold found another run thanks to a Jake Zeal single to center.

A three-run advantage was held by the home squad up until the fifth inning when the Storm answered with a three-run blast to tie the game up.

The Duhawks swiftly responded with another Gumuls RBI, this time a double from the freshman, but that 4-3 lead was then immediately squashed as the visitors held an advantage in the seventh.

Back and forth we went, until Loras eventually gained a 7-6 lead entering the ninth, because of a pair of Storm errors that allowed a duo of runs to score.

Dylan Ackermann got the initial two outs that the Purple and Gold needed, but with their backs against the wall, Simpson wouldn't falter. Three straight singles forced a run in, and suddenly, we were tied at Petrakis Park.

It was almost an exact repeat from a season ago, when Simpson, down to their last strike, fought back and defeated Loras in extra innings. Not this time though.

This Duhawk group chose to be different, and with two out, and a runner on first, Sunny would slap a single to left field, putting a runner in scoring position. Then who else but Gumuls knocked in the winning run on a flare shot out to right-center field, stunning the Storm faithful, and sending the Duhawk fans home happy for the second walk-off winner this year at Petrakis.

On Deck: That late win for Loras set up a rubber match between the two squads, with first pitch set for 12:00 p.m. tomorrow.