INDIANOLA, Iowa – Nebraska Wesleyan scored two runs in the top of the 9
th inning to break open a tie game and the Prairie Wolves held off a late rally defeating Simpson College 7-5 on Tuesday night (April 9) in American Rivers Conference baseball action. NWU takes the series after the two teams split a doubleheader one week ago in Lincoln.
With the game tied at 5-5 entering the 9
th inning, the Prairie Wolves loaded the bases with nobody out.
Derek Kolbush led off the inning with a hard single to center field,
Tyler Winterstein walked and
Will Watkins dropped in a single to fill the bags. Jack Woitalewicz drew a walk to bring in Kolbush for the go-ahead run. The next batter,
Spencer Scheer, hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in Winterstein.
Simpson opened the bottom of the 9
th inning with a double.
Josh Seifert came in as a relief pitcher and struck out two Storm batters. He did walk one as two runners were on base with two outs, but a ground out to second base ended the game.
The two teams combined to leave 25 runners on base in a game that lasted just over three hours. Nebraska Wesleyan also had a rough day in the field committing five errors while walking six total batters. Simpson outhit NWU 11-9, but the Storm stranded 14 total runners.
In the bottom of the 8
th inning, the Storm had a chance to take the lead as they loaded the bases.
Tucker McHugh was able to end the threat getting a strikeout.
Simpson got off to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings scoring two in the 1
st and one more in the 2
nd. NWU finally got on the board in the top of the 5
th inning when
Derek Kolbush blasted a double over the outfielder's head in centerfield to drive in two runs. Simpson went back ahead 4-2 in the bottom half of the inning scoring another unearned run.
NWU came up with the biggest hit of the game in the 6
th inning. Three walks loaded the bases for the Prairie Wolves as Simpson starting pitcher Brady Held was finally knocked out of the game. Held had struck out nine NWU batters through 5 2/3 innings but got himself in trouble in the 6
th.
Riley Ward came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Ward cleared the bases with a 3-run double to left field putting the Prairie Wolves ahead 5-4. Simpson did respond with a run in the 6
th to tie the game at 5-5.
Hayden Parker started the game on the mound for NWU going 6.0 innings. Parker struck out six and allowed three earned runs. McHugh pitched 2+ innings and was credited with the victory striking out three and giving up only two hits. Seifert got his first save of the season making the final three outs.
Kolbush led the NWU offense going 3-5 with two RBI, while Ward was 2-4 with three RBI.
