PELLA — The Central College baseball team outhit Loras College 18-15 Friday afternoon but lost the opening game of the American Rivers Conference weekend series 10-6.
The Dutch (11-18, 5-11 conference) pounded out 15 singles and three extra-base hits, but also stranded 12 runners throughout the game.
"Usually when you get that many hits, you are able to score more runs," coach Casey Klunder said. "We've just got to string them together a little bit better. We hit some balls hard today and it was good to see our offense take a step forward."
Right fielder Colton DeRocher (junior, Sioux City, East HS) had a team-high four hits, including an RBI triple. Center fielder Max Steinlage (freshman, Cedar Falls) had three hits, including an RBI double.
"They got some good pitches to hit today and they knew what to do with them," Klunder said.
Second baseman Logan McCoy (sophomore, Galva, Alta-Aurelia HS), first baseman Garrett Finley (senior, DeWitt, Central DeWitt HS) and left fielder Chase Martin (sophomore, Port St. Lucie, Fla., John Carroll HS) each had two hits apiece.
Landon Thiele (senior, Moline, Ill.) took the loss on the mound in four innings of relief. He allowed three earned runs on eight hits and one walk. Kurby Vowels (senior, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) was the starting pitcher, allowing five earned runs in five innings. He scattered seven hits and seven walks well until a four-run fifth inning.
"I thought Kurby did a nice job," Klunder said. "If we pick up a couple more hits or make one or two more plays in defense, I think it looks a bit different. Loras is the second-best offense in our league and we executed a lot of pitches against them. They just strung them together a little better."
Central and Loras return to the field for a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Weather forecasts call for a high of 44 degrees and wind gusts over 20 miles per hour.
"We talked in our preparation for the weekend about adversity," Klunder said. "One of the forms of adversity is going to be weather and there's no reason to hide from it. It's coming. We must embrace it and see who handles it better, us or them."
