The Central College baseball team rose to the occasion Sunday afternoon and secured a road sweep at Bethel University, winning 5-1 and 4-3.

The Royals came into the game just outside the Top 25 rankings in Division III baseball and had won nine of its last 10 games before Sunday’s doubleheader. Declan O’Hare was the winning pitcher in game one, throwing a complete seven-inning game while scattering four hits and striking out three with just one walk. With four innings of strong relief, Parker Jones won game two. He walked two, struck out two and allowed two runs in four hits. Wes Hamor started the game and allowed one run in the first three innings. In game one, Central took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning. An RBI double by Ian Boline was followed by a two-run single by Pella High Alumni Landon Vander Leest to break the game open. Quinn Miller had an RBI double in the sixth inning of game two. Lucas Farren added an RBI double in the seventh and O’Hare had an RBI single to give Central the runs it needed to hang on to a 4-3 lead after two Royal runs in the bottom of the seventh. O’Hare led the Dutch with four hits on the day and Dom DeLaPaz had three.        

Central improved to 13-18 on the season with the wins, and will continue non-conference play tomorrow hosting Grinnell College at 3 p.m.

Strong play down the stretch carried Grinnell College past the Central College women’s golf team 4.5-0.5 for the title at the Battle of Bos match play tournament Sunday at the Bos Landen Golf Club. Only Delaney Underwood was able to score for the Dutch as her match at the No. 2 position ended all square. The Dutch will see Grinnell again as they close their spring schedule next weekend at the Grinnell College Golf Course. The two teams will be joined by Illinois College for a triangular Saturday before playing a dual Sunday.