May 8, 2003

WATERLOO, IOWA . . . Two of the three scheduled games on day one of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) baseball Tournament were completed before weather interrupted play. Top-seeded Cornell defeated #6 Buena Vista (13-2) and #2 Wartburg defeated #5 Dubuque (9-1). The game between #3 Simpson and #4 Loras was suspended after four innings with Loras leading 2-0. It will be completed Friday at 9:15 a.m.

A brief recap of Thursday’s games followed by Friday’s Tournament schedule and the box score and play-by-play of each of Thursday’s games are below.

Game 1 – #1 Cornell 13 vs. #6 Buena Vista 2 (7 innings)
Buena Vista jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first but its defense committed five errors and surrendered 13 unanswered runs. Cornell, powered by eight extra base hits and a complete game from freshman Ryan Rosenberg, improved to 26-13 overall (13-5 IIAC) with the victory. Rosenberg (8-2) surrendered four hits and struck out seven batters in seven innings. After tying the game in the second inning, the Rams exploded for seven runs on seven hits in the fourth inning and then scored four times in the fifth and once in the sixth. Junior right fielder Drew Simonis went 4-for-4 with three doubles and two RBI. Zobeck was 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three runs scored. Senior third baseman Chet Knake and sophomore shortstop Danny Love both went 2-for-4 with three RBI apiece.

Sophomore outfielder Mike Soenen provided most of Buena Vista’s (14-23 overall, 8-9 IIAC) offense with two hits in three at-bats. Both hits were doubles. Freshman third baseman Matt Reichle and freshman first baseman Tom Murphy both went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Senior Nathan Kleve (2-7) started and suffered the loss for the Beavers. He surrendered eight runs (6 earned) and 10 hits in 3.1 innings. Sophomore Adam Rath pitched 1.1 innings in relief, giving up four runs on four hits. Freshman Jason Hillman gave up one run and two hits in 1.1 innings.

Game 2 - #2 Wartburg 9 vs. #5 Dubuque 1
Behind a complete game four-hitter from freshman Ryan Moorman, Wartburg defeated Dubuque, 9-1. Just four hits by Dubuque and five errors that led to four unearned Wartburg runs hurt the Spartans. Moorman (6-2) struck out nine batters, walked six and allowed an unearned run in nine innings. Offensively, sophomore second baseman Casey Toops went 3-for-4 with two RBI for Wartburg while senior first baseman B.J. Meaney (2-for-4) and senior short stop Jay Whannel (2-for-3, RBI) each had two hits as the Knights improved to 19-10-1 overall, 11-6 in the IIAC.

For Dubuque, junior left fielder Curt Schultz, sophomore catcher Justin Shepard, senior designated hitter Corey Parr and freshman third baseman Cole Lyons provided all of the Spartans offense with one hit apiece. Freshman Ryan Page (2-2), started and suffered the loss, surrendering seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings. Sophomore Mike Kelley and junior Josh Knoll each pitched two innings in relief. Kelley gave up two unearned runs and three hits. Knoll allowed one hit in two shutout innings.

Game 3 - #3 Simpson vs. #4 Loras – Suspended after 4 innings (Loras leading 2-0)
Before play was suspended, Loras senior Cory Schultz struck out eight batters four innings including the games first six hitters. He held Simpson without a hit for the first 3.1 innings. Offensively, junior right fielder Tom Andrews extended his hit streak to 16 games. Andrews and freshman short stop Dustin Roth score on Matt Mausser’s base hit in the top of the fourth.

Simpson sophomore Shawn Parker surrendered five hits and struck out three in four innings. Sophomore catcher Jon Clanton has the Storm’s lone hit.

Friday’s Schedule: Following completion of the Simpson/Loras game at 9:15 a.m., Dubuque and Buena Vista will play followed by Cornell and the Simpson/Loras loser. Wartburg will play the Simpson/Loras winner in the day’s third full game. All games after the Simpson/Loras game is completed will be seven inning contests.

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