PELLA — The Central College baseball team got back in the win column Saturday afternoon with a 7-6 win in third game of its weekend series against Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Nebraska Wesleyan (18-14, 7-9 American Rivers Conference) won the first game of Saturday's doubleheader 10-7. They also beat the Dutch (15-17, 6-12 conference) 3-0 in Friday's opener
"You always want to get two out of three in the series," coach Adam Carey said." Especially when you play three close games, you have to find a way to get two wins there. At the same time, we need to take what we learned and utilize it this week to get ready for Simpson."
Mark Kenney (junior, Fennimore, Wis.) got his fourth win of the season on the mound, yielding four earned runs across 7.2 innings pitched. He gave up 11 hits and two walks while striking out five. Turner Williams (sophomore, Newton) came on for a four-out save, his first of the season.
"Mark is a guy that refuses to give up to the ball," coach Adam Carey said. "The way he competes and fills up the zones, it always gives us a chance to win."
One of second baseman Chance Dreyer's (junior, Davenport, Assumption HS) two hits in the second game was a three-run home run. Shortstop Garrett Guenther (sophomore, Grayslake, Ill., Central HS) also had two hits while center fielder Jaden Kramer (Cedar Falls) started Central's scoring with a two-RBI single in the first inning.
"The at-bats were great up and down the lineup," Carey said. "We strung good at-bats together, took our walks and took advantage of what we had on the base paths."
Max Steinlage (junior, Cedar Falls) took the loss on the mound in game one, giving up two earned runs in 5.0 innings. He walked four and struck out four with five hits against.
Steinlage was the top hitter for the Dutch in the opener. He drove in five runs on three hits, including a pair of home runs. First baseman David DiStefano (freshman, Janesville, Wis., Craig HS) had his first collegiate home run with a two-run blast.
Central hosts Simpson College next Friday at 3 p.m. to start another three-game weekend series.
"We've got to take it one day a time," Carey said. "We have to attack the series and trust what we do."
