The Riverland Blue Devils lost Sunday to Bethany Luther in a doubleheader, 2-1 and 12-2.

Monday, April 09, 2001

The Riverland Blue Devils lost Sunday to Bethany Luther in a doubleheader, 2-1 and 12-2.

Sophomore John Roesler started as pitcher Coach Lee Brand said Roesler pitched an excellent game in the first game and Justin Kohn came in to relieve him.

"We pitched just short of a win," Brand said. "The run we got was when Matt Raso scored. Koppel got him home with a base hit."

The second game for the Blue Devils was another story. Craig Smith started out pitching but soon got tired. By the second inning, the score was 4-2 in Bethany’s favor. Matt Nalan came in as relief pitcher when bases were loaded and he struck out the Bethany player. At the end of the third inning, the score was 5-2. Bethany’s pitcher was Brian Voesjpka in the top of the fourth inning. Josh Koppel stole third, but no runs were scored.

Nalan was on the mound for the Blue Devils in the fourth. Errors were made in this inning when center fielder Matt Lange missed picking up a ball. There were men on first and second. Nalan struck out the next batter. The Blue Devils were up to bat again and couldn’t score.

The top of the fifth inning Nalan still was pitching. A Bethany player stole second base and Lange caught a high fly in center field. Bethany scored no runs.

The top of the fifth, Riverland never got on base. The sixth inning was the turning point in the game. Nalan started getting tired and walking players. Bethany made it home two times and the score was 7-2.

Kohn came in as relief pitcher when bases were loaded and walked Bethany. The score became 8-2 in Bethany’s favor. Nate Vollbrecht caught a low fly ball down center and got a Bethany player out at second but another made it home. Errors were made when Nalan tossed a wild pitch and the Bethany player on third ran home. The score became 12-2. Bethany made seven runs in the sixth inning. Riverland never came back to score in the seventh inning.

Zach Berhow was the pitcher in the first game and Josh Kunze caught for Riverland in the second game.

Derrick Woodley, in his third year as coach for Bethany said, "We had some baserunners. Our record right now is 3-5 and in this division we are 2-0."

Lee Brand’s comment on the last game of the double headers was: "We didn’t play too well pitchingwise. Bethany had a couple hits and we couldn’t follow through. We are doing better than last year. We just let the second game get out of hand. Roesler’s legs just got too tired pitching."

Brand said the team was upset, but this is a good sign. They play Ridgewater at Riverland at 2 p.m. today.

Call Sheila Donnelly at 434-2234 or e-mail her at sports@austindailyherald.com.