Clarke College senior lefthander Kirk Garrison struck out 13 batters Wednesday afternoon in the Crusaders' 3-2 win over Ashford University in the first game of Midwest Collegiate Conference twin bill at A.J. Spiegel Park. Clarke overcame a 5-2 deficit in the nightcap and went on to post a 6-5 win.

Garrison, a native of Moline, Illinois, scattered six hits and did not issue a base on balls while improving to 2-1. His 13 strikeouts are the second highest single-game total in school history. Jim Patrick struck out a school-record 15 hitters on April 2, 1996.

Clarke would give Garrison all the runs he would need in the second when the Crusaders plated three runs. Dan Spain (Sr., Delmar, Iowa) had an RBI single and Jared Krasselt's two-out, two-run triple scored two more baserunners. Krasselt is a junior from Chili, Wisconsin.

Ashford scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning, but Garrison closed down the Saints the rest of the way.

In the nightcap, Clarke managed just five hits, but the Crusaders improved to 11-14 overall and 4-1 in league play with a 6-5 win.

Dan Spain was 1-for-1 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Crusaders.

Clarke sophomore Justin Haas (Cabot, Ark.) pitched five strong innings in relief to improve to 3-2. Haas struck out seven and allowed just one hit.

Haas and Clarke starter Jake Moser limited Ashford (5-12, 0-5 MCC) to just four hits.

Clarke will play a single nine-inning game at Ashford on Thursday beginning at 3 p.m.

-CRUSADERS-