CEDAR RAPIDS — A dominating performance from three relief pitchers sealed the Central College baseball team's 8-7 victory over Coe College on Tuesday afternoon.
Taking over with one out in the fourth inning, Marcus Wenzel (sophomore, Chicago, Ill., Luther North College Prep) held the Kohawks without a run for 3.2 innings, allowing just two hits. Nathan Schwanke (sophomore, Omaha, Neb., Concordia HS) tossed a scoreless eighth before Ryan Riddle (sophomore, Omaha, Neb., Mount Michael HS) sat down the side in order for his fifth save of the season.
"Marcus came in pitched really well for us," coach Matt Schirm said. "We feel really good about things when we get to the eighth with the lead because we have Schwanke and Riddle."
In the first two game of the series against Coe (12-2, 2-1 American Rivers Conference), big innings by the Kohawks cost Central (11-3, 1-2 conference) two losses. A five-run fourth inning could have spelled doom again for the Dutch battled back.
"The fourth inning could have been a 'here-we-go-again' moment," Schirm said. "Marcus got us out of that inning and our guys kept chipping away. They didn't hit the panic button and I think it shows some growth. In previous years, we may have folded in that situation."
Left fielder Joe Rebik (junior, Marshalltown), third baseman Kaiden Fiebelkorn (junior, Brooklyn, BGM HS) and second baseman Lucas Farren (sophomore, Yorkville, Ill.) each had 2 RBIs from the No. 7, 8 and 9 spots in the lineup, respectively.
"It's great to be able to rely on different parts of lineup to step up," Schirm said. "All three of those guys had solid offensive games."
It was a two-out single by center fielder Coy Moore (senior, Hamilton, Twin Cedars HS), scoring Fiebelkorn in the top of the seventh, that provided the winning run.
Playing in Pella for the first time this year, Central is slated to host Wartburg College in a three-game set starting on Friday at 3 p.m.
"Today was definitely a big win for us," Schirm said. "Hopefully it gets us on the right track again going into the next conference series.
