WAVERLY, Iowa-- The No. 8 Wartburg baseball team (27-8 overall, 17-7 IIAC) split the final doubleheader of the conference series against Luther (17-15, 12-8) Tuesday. The Knights won the opener 3-2 in eight innings but fell 11-8 in the finale.

In the first game, the Orange and Black were the first team on the board as sophomore Jake Thumann (DeWitt) on junior Robbie Anstoetter's (Farley) fielder's choice. Wartburg added another run in the fourth as senior Blake Wilson (Bettendorf) drove in Thumann on his single to right field.

The Norse evened the score in the fourth. Neither team was able to advance a runner past first for the remaining innings, to send it to extras.

Thumann scored the game-winning run in the eighth as he scored from first on Wilson's double. Luther was retired in order to give Wartburg the win.

Thumann and Wilson each went 2-4 in the game. Sophomore Taylor Gilson (Oelwein) pitched the complete game and earned his team-best sixth win.

In the second game, each team scored a run in the first and junior Milton Croes (Noord, Aruba) gave the Knights the 3-1 lead with his two-run shot in the second. The Norse reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the frame as they tallied four runs to take the 5-3 lead and scored one in the third.

The Orange and Black plated runs in each of the next three innings, but Luther was able to answer back in those frames as well. Wartburg cut the margin to three as it scored two runs in the sixth on an RBI double from junior Ryan Kemp (Keokuk) and sac fly from senior DJ Utley (Cedar Rapids).

Wilson went 3-4, Utley was 2-3 and Kemp was 2-4 in the game.

The Knights return to the field Friday when they host Simpson in the final conference series of the season.