PELLA — Overcoming a 4-1 deficit, the Central College baseball team snatched a 5-4 walk-off win over Simpson College Tuesday afternoon.

Central improved to 11-12 (2-11 American Rivers Conference) and dropped Simpson to 11-13 (2-8 conference).

Catcher Dom DeLaPaz (freshman, Davenport, West HS) hit a double off the wall to get Central a base runner in the ninth inning trailing 4-3.  An infield single by Ian Boline (senior, left fielder, Alburnett) put runners on the corners after pinch runner Carson Albrecht (freshman, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) advanced to third. A Logan McCoy (sophomore, center fielder, Galva, Alta-Aurelia HS) walk loaded the bases for shortstop Tanner Bigelow (sophomore, Gilbert, Ariz., Highland HS).

Bigelow lashed a single to left field to plate Albrecht from third. Pinch runner Kyler Watson (freshman, Huxley, Ballard HS) was sent by coach Casey Klunder from second base as the throw from left field went off the glove of the Simpson catcher and Watson slid in for the game-winning run.

"We had all kinds of speed out there with our pinch runners," Klunder said. "It's a good lesson for our group that you never know when your spot might come up. Carson and Kyler were in the dugout for two and half hours and then they come in to win the game."

Bigelow also had a two-run single in the seventh inning that scored Boline and DeLaPaz. Bigelow finished with three hits and DeLaPaz and Boline each had two.

"Tanner has played so much baseball even before he came to Central that I forget he's still a young player," Klunder said. "He plays like a veteran for us and he came up big for us today."

Marcus Wenzel (senior, Chicago, Il., Luther North College Prep) went the distance on the mound, striking out three and walking three to get his second win of the season. Only one of the four runs allowed was earned as he scattered seven hits.

"It was fun to watch him work today," Klunder said. "He had his good stuff. Even in the inning that got away from us, he buckled right back down and went back to work. It was an outstanding effort from start to finish for Marcus."

Central got the first run off Held in the first inning after Declan O'Hare's (junior, first baseman, Los Angeles, Calif. , Marshall HS) double down the right field line scored Lucas Farren (fifth year, second baseman, Yorkville, Ill.) from first base.

Central hosts the University of Dubuque this weekend in a three-game series, starting with a single game at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.