Nine Clarke College pitchers combined for a 1-hit shutout victory over the University of Dubuque Wednesday afternoon at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta, Iowa. Dan Spain (Sr., Delmar, Iowa) went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and Tony Harvat (So., Westchester, Ill.) homered and had two hits and two RBIs for the Crusaders, who picked up a 6-0 win their 2009 home debut.

Nick Bowles (Fr.,  Bloomington, Ill.) also had two hits for Clarke, which improved to 7-13.

Bowles, Harvat and Spain accounted for Clarke's six hits.

Coach Chad Harris' Crusaders plated single runs in each of the four innings, then scored two runs in the fifth on Spain's two-out, two-run single.

Shadi Abuhakemeh had UD's only hit off Clarke pitching, an infield single in the second inning .

Jake Moser (Fr., Spring Creek, Nev.) picked up the win for Clarke and is now 1-1. Clarke's pitching staff struck out nine Spartans and walked four.

Clarke will open its Midwest Collegiate Conference slate at home this weekend, hosting Waldorf College on Saturday and Sunday. The two squads will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday and one nine-inning game at noon on Sunday.

-CRUSADERS-