COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - A winless Ridgewater College squad nearly knocked off the top-ranked NJCAA Division I team Friday afternoon, but Iowa Western rallied past the Division III Warriors 5-4 in the opening game of a doubleheader.
Ridgewater had a 4-3 lead after posting a pair of two-run innings in the second and third. Sophomore lefty Brady Smith then blanked Iowa Western in the third, fourth and sixth, but single runs in the fifth and seventh propelled the home team.
“We should’ve won,” said Ridgewater coach Dennis Boe “If we would’ve turned a double play and fielded another ball, we win 4-2 hands down.”
The Reivers (12-4) then shut out Ridgewater (0-5) 10-0 in the second game. The two will play another doubleheader in Council Bluffs Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
Game One
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Iowa Western 5, Ridgewater 4
The Warriors stranded seven runners, including one on third in the seventh inning.
A two-run single in the second from Cory Dixon gave the visitors a 2-1 lead. Iowa Western answered with two runs in the bottom half, but the Warriors bounced ahead in the third after getting run-scoring doubles from Kyle Brazil and Matt Schmitz.
Smith went the distance, surrendering eight hits and three earned runs. The Reivers scored the winning run with one out in the seventh.
Ridgewater 022 000 0 - 4 6 2
Iowa Western 120 010 1 - 5 8 1
HITTING – Ridgewater: Kyle Brazil 1-3, 2b, rbi; Mitch Champagne 1-4, 2b; Brandon Roelike 1-3, 2b; Cory Dixon 1-1, 2 bbs, 2 rbi; Matt Schmitz 1-3, 2b, rbi … Iowa Western: Ryan Carpenter 3-4, 2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ridgewater: Brady Smith (L) 6.1-8-5-3-2-1 … Iowa Western: Sam Johnson 5-6-4-3-2-9, Keenan Breen (W) 1-0-0-0-1-1
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Game Two
Iowa Western 10, Ridgewater 0
The Warriors managed just three singles - one each from Cory Dixon, Matt Schmitz and Dalton Newbold - en route to getting 10-run ruled in five innings.
Ridgewater (0-5) 000 00 - 0 3 4
Iowa Western (12-4) 320 32 - 10 7 0
HITTING – Ridgewater: Cory Dixon 1-3, Matt Schmitz 1-3, Dalton Newbold 1-3 … Iowa Western: Max Krupa 3-3, 2b, 2 runs
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ridgewater: Austin Theis (L) 2-3-5-2-1-0, Eric Smith 2-4-5-3-1-1, Cal Swedzinski 0-2-0-0-0-0 … Iowa Western: Nick Thayer (W) 5-3-0-0-0-3
