AUBURNDALE, FLA. — The Central College baseball team came up short twice Tuesday morning in a doubleheader against Oneonta State University (N.Y.), dropping the opener 4-1 and falling 11-6 in the nightcap.
Central (4-3) got a great start on the mound from Brayden Sawyer (junior, Grundy Center) in the opener. He struck out six and walked one but the Red Dragons (4-3) cobbled together four earned runs on seven hits.
"Brayden had a really good day with a gutsy performance," coach Adam Carey said. "I'm pumped about what he did."
Offensively, Sawyer's fifth-inning single plated the only run for the Dutch. Left fielder and leadoff man Jaden Kramer (junior, Cedar Falls) had three of the team's five hits.
"We didn't get things going in the box at any point," Carey said. "They threw a crafty lefty and credit to him he can really pitch it.
In game two, Eli Rouse (freshman, Madrid, Ballard HS) made his first collegiate start and struck out five in 2.1 innings, but Oneonta State pushed six runs across in the third to chase him from the game with seven earned runs on his tab.
"It was awesome to Eli compete the way he did in the beginning," Carey said. "Sometimes it happens where an offense can get to a young pitcher. He competed his tail off but at the end of the day, they got to him."
A grand slam by freshman second baseman Jackson Torbit (St. Louis, Mo., Webster Groves HS) spurred on a five-run fourth inning.
"That was awesome to see Jackson get a grand slam," Carey said. "It was created by having multiple quality at-bats in a row."
The Dutch had eight total hits but scratched out only one other run. Shortstop Garrett Guenther (sophomore, Grayslake, Ill., Central HS) was the only player with multiple hits, recording a pair of singles.
"That was the only inning where our offense had much life," Carey said. "We have to be more mature and do a better job of playing team baseball."
On Wednesday, Central will pick up from where it left off from Monday's suspended game against Greenville University (Ill.). The Dutch lead 2-1 and are up to hit in the bottom of the fourth.
