The Simpson baseball team won the rubber match with Wisconsin-Eau Claire 9-7 to take the series 2-1 over the Blugolds. The Storm were fueled by a two-run home run, 15 hits and a three-run eighth inning.

It was a sunny, chilly, winday day at Bob McBride Field in Indianola Saturday afternoon as the Blugolds and the Storm took the field. Both pitchers got off to strong starts in the first inning, but in the second Senior Sam Campin drove in Kasey Carter to get Simpson on the board with a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, Kasey Carter reached with another base hit and Campin sent Carter and himself home with a two-run home run over the left field fence to put the Storm ahead 3-1.

Later on in the fifth, Bryson Gibson drove in Matthew Florence with a base hit through the left side to give Simpson to a 5-1 lead.

In the seventh, the Blugolds were able to get a pair of runners on all to be brought in on a John Digregorio double to clear the bases and make it a 6-4 game. The damage wasn’t done by the Blugold hitters as a Cole Clausen triple lifted Wisconsin Eau-Claire to a 6-5 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, the Storm answered right back with patient at bats in drawing walks and being hit by pitches. A fielder’s choice and sacrifice fly gave Simpson the lead back 9-7. Jake Edenburn came into shut the door down in the ninth to secure the win for Simpson.

The Storm improve to 2-1 on the year and await a series with St. John’s next weekend in Indianola.