April 15, 2006
Release courtesy of Matt Turk, Simpson College sports information director

INDIANOLA, IOWA . . . Simpson head coach John Sirianni won his 500th career game as the No. 10 Storm (16-6, 6-2 IIAC) swept Buena Vista (10-14, 2-4 IIAC) Apr. 15 in Indianola. Simpson picked up Sirianni's 499th career victory in the opener with a 9-3 victory. The Storm scored first when James Brown (Sr., Des Moines, Iowa, Lincoln H.S.) tripled in Kyle Meyer (Jr., Hortonville, Wis., Madison T.C., Appleton North H.S.). Jon Clanton (Sr., Council Bluffs, Iowa, Lincoln H.S.) ground out to second, but the play scored Brown to give Simpson a 2-0 lead.

The Storm made it 3-0 in the third on a Mike Turnure (Sr., West Des Moines, Iowa, Valley H.S.) sacrifice fly that drove in Brown. The Beavers' Justin List and David Callahan picked up RBI's in the fourth to cut the Storm lead to one. Simpson got one back in the bottom of the inning when Ross Anderson (Sr., Robins, Iowa, Cedar Rapids Kennedy H.S.) singled in Chris Cyronek (Sr., Omaha, Neb., Millard South H.S.). Dusty Kain (Sr., Prairie City, Iowa, Prairie City-Monroe H.S.) homered to begin the fifth inning to give the Storm a 5-2 lead. A Derek Fink single in the top of the sixth plated Callahan to get BV to within two. The Storm responded in the bottom of the inning with four runs to break the game open. Clanton hit his third home run of the year, a three-run blast, to highlight the inning.

Brown led Simpson with three hits (3-for-3) and three runs scored. Anderson went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jason McClaflin (So., Altoona, Iowa, Southeast Polk H.S.) was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Buena Vista, which outhit Simpson 14-12, was led by Callahan and List who each posted three hits. Joe Poole and Adam Hardie each went 2-for-4.

Sirianni's 500th came in the nightcap as the Storm shutout the Beavers 5-0. Simpson pitcher Terry Beavers (Sr., Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Mt. Pleasant H.S.) tossed the first nine-inning shutout by a Storm pitcher since 1994 as he tossed a five-hitter. Beavers, who started on just two days rest, struck out seven while only walking one. Simpson scored one run in the first, one in the third, two in the fourth, and one in the fifth. Cyronek went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two walks. Anderson, Brown, and Turnure also drove in runs.

Sirianni has become the 38th NCAA Division III baseball coach to win at least 500 games in a career. He is now 500-303-2, a .622 winning percentage. His win total is the 26th best among active Division III coaches and is the 39th best in the history over Division III.

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