DUBUQUE — One unfortunate inning cost the Central College baseball team a road victory at the University of Dubuque Tuesday in a 12-11 loss.
With the win, Dubuque (17-7, 7-6 American Rivers Conference) completed the three-game series sweep over Central (11-14, 5-9 conference) after Dubuque won the first two games in Pella on March 28.
Making his second start of the season on the mound, Kurby Vowels (senior, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) stymied the Spartans. Vowels matched career highs with four strikeouts and six innings pitched while issuing three walks, hitting two batsmen, yielding six Spartan hits and three runs.
"Kurby looked really good," coach Casey Klunder said. "He mixed his pitches well and recorded a lot of outs."
Parker Jones (junior, Verona, Wis., Verona Area HS) replaced Vowels to start the bottom of the seventh with an 11-3 lead and walked four of the five batters he faced. Sam Staley (senior, Cedar Rapids, Jefferson HS) took the mound next and walked three out of five batters. The Spartans scored nine runs on three hits, one error and eight walks before the third reliever of the inning, Landon Thiele (senior, Moline, Ill.), induced an inning-ending double play.
"They've been great in the past and they'll be great again in the future," Klunder said. "If we can figure out how to get all of the phases of the game going at the same time we're going to be pretty solid."
After scoring 11 runs in the first six innings, Central's offense was unable to answer in the final innings.
Right fielder Colton DeRocher (junior, Sioux City, East HS) led the way with three hits, including two doubles, while driving in three runs. Third baseman Declan O'Hare (senior, Los Angeles, Calif., John Marshall HS) also drove in three runs powered by a two-run home run. First baseman Garrett Finley (senior, DeWitt, Central DeWitt HS) had a solo home run of his own. Catcher Brenden Mudd (senior, Greenwood Village, Colo., Cherry Creek HS) and center fielder Max Steinlage (freshman, Cedar Falls) each had one hit but found other ways to get on base and scored three runs each.
"We executed well offensively," Klunder said. "We did good things up and down the lineup and we were able to string together some crooked numbers. I was pleased with our production."
The Dutch have a bye in the American Rivers Conference schedule this weekend and will travel to Gustavus Adolphus College for a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader in Saint Peter, Minnesota.
"It'll be good to keep getting some reps during our conference bye," Klunder said. "It's a chance to build on what we did today offensively against another very good team in Gustavus."
