INDIANOLA, Iowa – After five straight days of nothing but road games, the Des Moines Peak Prospects needed a weekend off to rest their pitchers.

They got that and more when Jake Porter (FR, Johnson County CC) and Will Johnson (SO, Ellsworth CC) were named the starters for the Peak Prospects’ home opener, a doubleheader against the Jefferson City Renegades.

Des Moines (5-3) lost the first game 1-0 and won the second 8-4. The Renegades are 2-6.

Monday evening marked the Peak Prospects’ debut at McBride Field on the campus of Simpson College. Prior to Simpson’s baseball season, the college had installed a turf infield at the ballpark.

Porter and Johnson each made their season debuts for the Peak Prospects, as did Noah Cook (SR, Southern Illinois), who is back with Des Moines for a fifth season.

GAME FLOW

Jeff City won the first game 1-0 in a pitchers’ duel. Drew Wellington had the lone RBI single, scoring Charlie Rogan.

Des Moines’s offensive came alive in the second game.

Down 3-0 going into the bottom of the second, Noah Cook doubled and scored John Doty (SO, NIACC). Blake Anderson (FR, Johnson County CC) drove in a two-RBI hit to tie the game, and they ended the inning leading 4-3.

Jefferson City tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fifth on a Kam Durnin fly-ball single that disappeared over the lights and dropped in left field.

In the bottom of the fifth, Des Moines loaded the bases, and Diego Morlaes (SO, Bryant and Sratton [VA]) was hit by the pitch. Cole Hillman (FR, Hutchinson CC) drove in two more runs to put the Peak Prospects up by three.

In the bottom of the sixth, Cade Crevengoed (FR, Northeast CC) put the Peak Prospects up 8-4 on an RBI single.

STATS

In his 2023 debut, Peak Prospects veteran Noah Cook started game two behind the plate. He put in a 2-3 stat line, tacking on an RBI, a run, and a walk. Carter Thomas (FR, Wayne State [NE]) went 2-4.

Left-hander Jake Porter, a freshman from Johnson County CC, made his 2023 Peak debut and started game one. In five innings, he gave up just one run on four hits and struck out an impressive nine batters.

In the second game, right-handed pitcher Will Johnson (SO, Ellsworth CC) also made his season debut, giving up three runs on six hits. But the three runs were all in the second inning, and he struck out four batters en route to a 1-0 record at the plate.