CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa-- Wartburg (25-17 overall) ended IIAC Tournament play Friday in a 7-6 loss to Simpson (22-21).

The game was scoreless game until the top of the fourth when Simpson scored a run. In the bottom of the fifth, senior Joe Grote (Kenyon, Minn.) tied the score 1-1 with his RBI single, followed by an RBI double from senior Ryan Powers (Wheatland). Sophomore Ryan Kemp (Keokuk) drove in two runs to finish the inning to give the Knights a 4-1 lead.

Simpson tied up the game 4-4 in the sixth, which was answered by a leadoff double by senior Michael Schinstock (Urbandale). Freshman Tyler Mougin (Walford) was hit by pitch and back-to-back RBI singles by Grote and junior Jackson Litterer (Waverly) put the Orange and Black ahead 6-4 going into the seventh inning.

Three runs on four hits by the Storm put them up by one run in the top of the ninth inning.  A 1-2-3 bottom half ended the game in Simpson's favor 7-6.

Sophomore Parker Bolt (Reinbeck) pitched 8.1 innings and fanned four. Grote led the team at the plate as he went 2-5.

Waterloo Courier recap