Dubuque Defeats Simpson Baseball 3-2 in Series Finale

Nate Cagley's two-run double not enough as Storm fall short in comeback bid

Apr. 7, 2026 at 3:51pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the climactic moments of a baseball game, with players and the field reduced to angular, overlapping shapes in muted earth tones.A cubist interpretation of the dramatic final innings of the Simpson-Dubuque baseball series finale.Dubuque Today

The Simpson College baseball team fell 3-2 to Dubuque in the series finale, despite a late rally led by Nate Cagley's two-run double in the fourth inning. Dubuque built an early 3-0 lead, and Simpson's comeback efforts, including a strong relief outing from Jaymison Howard, were not enough to overcome the deficit.

Why it matters

This loss drops Simpson's record to 0-3 in the series against Dubuque, a key conference rival. The Storm will need to regroup quickly as they head to Nebraska Wesleyan for a doubleheader, looking to get back on track in the conference standings.

The details

Dubuque opened the scoring with a three-run fourth inning, using four hits and taking advantage of a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base to build a 3-0 lead. Simpson responded in the bottom half of the inning, with Nate Cagley driving in two runs with a double to cut the deficit to 3-2. Jaymison Howard provided five scoreless innings of relief for the Storm, but they were unable to complete the comeback, stranding the tying run at third base in the fifth and seventh innings.

  • Dubuque scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning.
  • Simpson scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
  • Jaymison Howard tossed five scoreless innings of relief for Simpson.

The players

Nate Cagley

A Simpson College baseball player who drove in two runs with a double in the fourth inning.

Jaymison Howard

A Simpson College baseball player who tossed five scoreless innings of relief for the Storm.

Logan Cadenhead

A Dubuque baseball player who delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning.

Zavion Ingram

A Dubuque baseball player who drove in a run with a bunt single in the fourth inning.

Ashr Harris

A Dubuque baseball player who added an RBI single in the fourth inning.

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What they’re saying

“We had our chances to tie it up, but just couldn't get that final run across. Proud of the fight our guys showed, but we'll need to learn from this and be ready to go on Tuesday.”

— Drew Carlson, Simpson College Baseball Player

What’s next

Simpson College will travel to Nebraska Wesleyan for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 8th, looking to bounce back from this series finale loss against Dubuque.

The takeaway

This defeat highlights the competitive nature of the conference race, as Simpson will need to regroup quickly to stay in contention. The Storm showed resilience in their comeback attempt, led by Nate Cagley's clutch hitting and Jaymison Howard's strong relief outing, but ultimately came up short against a tough Dubuque squad.