Strong pitching and timely hitting was the recipe for a doubleheader sweep by the Central College baseball team against Simpson College Sunday.

Central triumphed 3-1 in the opener before taking an 8-3 victory in the nightcap. After a 12-9 win Saturday heard live on both KNIA and KRLS, Central completed a three-game sweep of an American Rivers Conference opponent for the first time since sweeping the Storm in April of 2018.

Declan O’Hare hurled a gem in the opener, striking out seven batters over seven innings of work. He scattered seven hits while walking two batters. Ian Baldwin scored the only Storm run on a Brady Held bloop single in the third. Parker Jones secured save number four, retiring six of the eight batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings. Left fielder Chase Martin started the scoring with a two-run double in the first frame of game one, and shortstop Chance Dreyer’s double in the eighth inning gave the Dutch an insurance run. 

The Central offense broke out in game two behind the strength of home runs from O’Hare and Dreyer. Zach DeMarlie picked up his third pitching win of the season, going six strong innings as the starter. He struck out five while allowing six hits and issue three walks. He yielded two unearned runs. Landon Thiele converted a three-inning save to complete the sweep, striking out four and allowing just two base runners.

Simpson’s designated hitter Ty Cowley registered his third straight multi-hit game with a pair of singles in the first and fifth innings of game one. He was hit by a pitch in the second game and has now reached base safely in 16 consecutive games.

Central travels to Storm Lake on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. doubleheader against defending league champs Buena Vista University. Simpson hosts Nebraska Wesleyan for a 3:30 p.m. A-R-C doubleheader on Tuesday at McBride Field.