PELLA — Strong pitching and timely hitting was the recipe for a doubleheader sweep by the Central College baseball team against Simpson College Sunday.

Central (10-9, 4-4 American Rivers Conference) triumphed 3-1 in the opener before taking an 8-3 victory in the nightcap. After a 12-9 win Saturday, Central completed a three-game sweep of an American Rivers Conference opponent for the first time since sweeping the Storm in April of 2018.

"A lot of good things went on today," coach Casey Klunder said.  "It takes complete games and 27 innings is a lot of baseball in two days. We had great defense, great pitching and timely hitting with a few balls finding the gap. I'm proud of our team's effort this weekend."

Declan O'Hare (senior, Los Angels, Calif., John Marshall HS) hurled a gem in the opener, striking out seven batters over seven innings of work. He scattered seven hits while walking two batters. The only run scored on a bloop single in the third. Parker Jones (junior, Verona, Wis., Verona Area HS) secured save number four, retiring six of the eight batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings.

"He was so effective today," Klunder said. "That's the Declan we know and love. He was mixing his pitches well and every time he needed our defense to make a play for him they did."

Left fielder Chase Martin (sophomore, Port St. Lucie, Fla., John Carroll HS) started the scoring with a two-run double in the first frame of game two. Shortstop Chance Dreyer (Davenport, Assumption HS)'s double in the eighth inning gave the Dutch an insurance run.

"All three of our runs were scored on doubles," Klunder said. "That's how our offense is built and that was tough today with the wind. Dreyer is a clutch player and he got a pitch to hit and he knew what to do with it."

The Central offense broke out in game two behind the strength of home runs from O'Hare and Dreyer. O'Hare, Dreyer and Garrett Finley all had a pair of RBI while catcher Caleb Douglass (sophomore, Windsor, Colo.) and Dreyer had two hits each.

"We stuck to the game plan," Klunder said. "They really finished it off with a couple crooked numbers in the middle of the game."

Zach DeMarlie (freshman, Milan, Ill., Rock Island HS) picked up his third pitching win of the season, going six strong innings as the starter. He struck out five while allowing six hits and issue three walks. He yielded two unearned runs.

"He's getting better every time out," "He's bounced as a starter and reliever and he's been willing to answer the bell whenever we've called his name. I think moving forward he's going to be a starter.

Landon Thiele (senior, Moline, Ill.) converted a three-inning save to complete the sweep, he stuck out four and had just two base runners.

"He's pitched well every time he's been giving an opportunity this year," Klunder said. "He embraced his role early in the year and now he's been given a bigger role."

Central travels to Storm Lake on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. doubleheader against the defending league champions Buena Vista University.