WAVERLY— The Central College baseball team ended its six-game losing streak with a split of a doubleheader against Wartburg College.
           
The Dutch (11-11, 3-7 American Rivers) won the first game 4-0 but lost in game two 5-4.
           
In the opening game, pitcher Mark Kenney (junior, Fennimore, Wis.) pitched eight shutout innings while collecting a career high 10 strikeouts. He only allowed five hits and one walk.
           
"I was really happy with the way Mark pitched. You can't ask for more from your starting pitcher," coach Adam Carey said. "He has been making adjustments after every outing this season and seeing all of that hard work come to fruition was great."
           
The game was 0-0 until the sixth inning when first baseman Jackson Torbit (freshman, St. Louis, Mo., Webster Groves HS) scored on a wild pitch. The Dutch would add on in the seventh inning when catcher Caleb Douglass (senior, Windsor, Colo.) hit an RBI single scoring right fielder Jaden Kramer (junior, Cedar Falls). Kramer would go on to hit a two RBI double in the eighth inning to end the scoring.
           
Kramer led the team with three hits and shortstop Garrett Guenther (sophomore, Grayslake, Ill., Central HS) would add two more himself, including a triple. Guenther also scored on Kramer's double in the eighth inning.
           
"We were able to get Kramer into a different spot in the lineup and he took advantage in game one," Carey said. "Guenther swung it well all weekend, we were really happy with the at bats he put together."
           
Pitcher Turner Williams (sophomore, Newton) came on in the ninth and after a leadoff double he would strike out the next three hitters all looking.
           
"He mixes his pitches well and is carving out a big role on the team," said Carey.
           
In game two, the Dutch went down 1-0 after the first inning. After that there was no scoring until the top of the eighth. Third baseman Brayden Sawyer (junior, Grundy Center) drew a walk and scored after Guenther hit his second triple of the day to tie the game at one. In the bottom half of the inning, Wartburg (13-8, 6-4 American Rivers) capitalized on two errors from Central and was able to score four runs.
           
Despite being down 4-1, the Dutch didn't go down easy as Sawyer and Guenther collected RBIs and Bryer Wiley (freshman, Urbana, Center Point-Urbana) scored on a pass ball, as a pinch runner.  
           
"Our guys were hungry to keep battling against Wartburg's closer," Carey said.
           
Sawyer also started the game on the mound and pitched 7.1 innings allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out eight hitters. At the plate he also had two hits, a walk and two runs scored to go with his RBI.
           
"It was fun to watch him the way he competed today," said Carey. "He was constantly hitting the zone, and Sawyer led us to tie the game in the eighth inning. He is consistent all the time and you know what you are going to get from him whether its at the plate, at third base or on the mound, and that really shined through today."
           
Guenther collected three hits and two RBIs and as a team the Dutch totaled nine hits and three walks.
           
Central will finish off its series with Buena Vista University Wednesday with a doubleheader starting at 3:30 p.m.