During Steve Cook's 23 years as head coach of the Coe baseball team, he had never seen a pitching performance like what he saw Sunday from Zach Kammin (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock). The junior struck out 17 Nebraska Wesleyan batters on his way to a complete-game four-hit effort in Coe's 4-1 win in the second game of the twinbill. The 17 strikeouts is a single-game high during Cook's tenure.
Kammin got all of the run support he would need before he even stepped foot on the mound. Kevin DeLaney (Coralville, Iowa/West) singled to lead off the game, stole second and advanced to third. Riley LeGrand (Dyersville, Iowa/Beckman Catholic) would drive him in with a single to left. Later, with the bases loaded, Nolan Arp (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) drove in LeGrand with a single to left. Jordan Kaplan (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) would score the inning's third run on a wild pitch.
Kammin started off his great day by striking out the first five NWU batters he faced, three of them on a called third strike. The sixth batter finally made contact, but it was a grounder back to Kammin. He did not allow his first base runner until the fourth inning, struck out at least one batter in every inning and had multiple strikeouts in six innings. He ended the afternoon by striking out the last two batters he faced.
The opening game of the doubleheader was all about the Coe bats as they smacked 14 hits in the 15-4, seven-inning win.
The Prairie Wolves scored two in the first before Coe countered with three in the second. DeLaney and LeGrand each drove in runs with sacrifice flies in the frame.
They would add four in the fourth. With the bases loaded, LeGrand delivered a 2-RBI single and Jordan Kaplan followed with a run-producing double. Jacob Burns (Gilbert, Ariz./Campo Verde)' sacrifice fly brought in LeGrand and gave Coe a 7-2 lead.
Matthew Schrader (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunnyslope) drove in a pair as part of a three-run fifth. Coe would add four in the seventh with the big hit coming from Daniel Berger (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) who drove in two with a double.
Burns went 3-for-4 in the opener with three RBI. LeGrand and Berger each drove in three on a pair of hits.
Jack Greene (Marshalltown, Iowa/Marshalltown) picked up the win, striking out seven over 5.2 innings.
Coe (14-2, 4-1 in A-R-C) finishes the three-game set with NWU Monday at 1 p.m.