JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The Carleton College baseball team let a two-run lead evaporate in the bottom of the eighth inning as Central College plated four runs in the frame to snatch the win, 5-3, in the season opener for both teams. In his collegiate debut, Ray Yong (Fy./Elmhurst, Ill./York) pounded three hits, drove in one, and stole a base to lead the Knights. Jacob Anderson (Sr./Ramsey, Minn./Anoka) was in line for the win after a strong first outing in which he only surrendered one run and four hits over six innings before exiting the game.
Carleton (0-1) and Central (1-0) were originally slated to play a double header, but poor field conditions forced the two teams to settle for one nine-inning contest. Looking to escape the wintry conditions by travelling to Southern Illinois, the two teams had no such luck as the teams battled snow, temperatures just above freezing, and a stiff wind.
Anderson started the game off strong, facing just one batter over the minimum through the first three innings before Central drew first blood on a Ryan Allison single. With one out and runners on second and third, Anderson kept his poise, inducing a popup and a strikeout to get out of the jam. Anderson would coast through the sixth before leaving the game.
Meanwhile, Central starter Joel Pulliam was mowing down Knight hitters. An All-Iowa Conference selection a year ago, Pulliam struck out 13 Knights over 6.2 innings while only yielding three hits and a pair of unearned runs.
The Knights got those unearned tallies in the top of the seventh inning when Erik Fabry (Jr./Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) was caught stealing, but an errant throw by Pulliam allowed Kiyota Gomi (Jr./Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Ardsley) to score from third base. Fabry would then score on a Alex Wirta (Jr./Corte Madera, Calif./Redwood) bloop single to left.
The Knights tacked on another run in the top of the eighth as Jeff Dsida (Fy./Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) led off with a double off the right-field fence. He later scored when Yong punched his third hit of the game through a drawn-in infield.
After pitching a scoreless seventh inning, reliever Jackson Tears (Fy./Trabuco Canyon, Calif./JSerra) ran into some problems in the eighth, allowing the first four batters to reach base on a two walks, a hit, and an error. Brendan Fowl (Fy./Kingsville, Md./McDonogh) entered the game looking to stem the tide, but the Dutch were able to get some timely hits to take the 5-3 lead.
Michael Jontz picked up the win for Central after pitching an inning and a third and striking out three. D.J. Glasgow notched the save by tossing a scoreless ninth. The Dutch pitching staff combined for 16 strikeouts on the day.
The Knights will face Loras College, another IIAC opponent, in Jacksonville on Sunday, March 6. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
