Behind strong pitching and timely hitting, the Central College baseball team jumped out to a strong start in their series with Cornell, defeating the Rams 3-0 and 11-3 yesterday afternoon in Pella.  
Central pitcher Joel Pulliam notched his third shutout of the season in game one, giving up just two hits and two walks while striking out six Cornell batters.  Pulliam is now 6-2 on the season.  The Dutch also benefitted from timely hitting in game one, as Josh Stanton pinch hit for a two RBI double in the fifth inning to break the offensive stalemate.  
Central’s offense eliminated any possibility of drama in the nightcap, racking up 11 hits and jumping out to an early lead by taking advantage of five walks through the opening two innings.  Third baseman Anthony Miller and first baseman Seth Carson led the way, each going two-for-two at the plate and scoring five runs between them.  Michael Jontz earned the win on the pitcher’s mound; giving up just one hit and tallying six strikeouts in five innings of work.  
The wins improve Central’s record to 20-13 and 10-8 in the Iowa Conference.  The Dutch will complete the series with Cornell at one o’clock this afternoon with a nine-inning contest at the A.N. Kuyper Athletic Complex in Pella.  
You can hear the game live on kniakrls.com with Eric Gotschall providing the call.