Central remains alive in IIAC tournament

CEDAR RAPIDS - The win was twice as nice for the Central baseball team.

For the second time in two days, the Dutch beat Loras.

This time, the 8-0 win kept Central's title hopes alive, while eliminating the DuHawks from the Iowa Conference baseball tournament Friday night at Memorial Stadium. Central (22-20) faces Wartburg (31-11) in an elimination game Saturday at 10 a.m.

The Dutch, which beat Loras to open their conference tournament, two runs in each of the first three innings to take a commanding lead. Kirby Coppess powered the Central offense, which connected for 10 hits. Coppess had two singles and four RBIs. He had sacrifice flies in the second and third innings to drive in two runs and added a two-run single in the fifth.

Adam Lindell, Michael Reuter and Zach Brown each had two hits and an RBI for the Dutch.

Central starter Matt Schissel allowed just three hits in eight innings. Jake Voss retired Loras in order in the ninth.

Patrick Walsh had two hits for Loras (21-22). It was the third straight time Central has eliminated Loras from the IIAC tournament.

LORAS 2, LUTHER 0 - The DuHawks manufactured a run in the first and another in the fifth inning, knocking out the Norse from the Iowa Conference baseball tournament Friday at Memorial Stadium.

Cole Reeg doubled in the first at-bat of the game and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Patrick Walsh. In the fifth, Anthony Flattery opened with a single, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from Walsh and scoring on Spence Bonner's base hit. Bonner, a former Iowa City West prep, led the DuHawks with four hits. Flattery, Walsh and Nolan Ritter had two hits apiece for Loras.

Alex Steines threw eight shutout innings, surrendering just five hits. Connor Schreck closed the game in the ninth, recording his fifth save.

Jon Opdahl and Andrew Burgmeier had two hits each for Luther (20-23). The Norse's Alec Knop tossed a complete game, scattering 12 hits.

LORAS 5, BUENA VISTA 1 - Sixth-seeded Loras dropped No. 4-seed Buena Vista from the Iowa Conference tournament with a 5-1 win Friday morning at Memorial Stadium.

The DuHawks scored all the runs necessary in the opening inning. Patrick Walsh belted a two-run home run down the right-field line for a 2-0 lead. Loras extended its lead in the third, getting a two-run double from Adam Kennedy and RBI single from Tony Heiser.

Loras starter Adam Schwoebel threw a complete game, giving up 10 hits but only allowing one run in the first.

Neil Marshall led off the first with a triple and scored on Kolby Hilgenberg's groundout for the Beavers (25-16). Buena Vista was the 2014 IIAC tournament champion.

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