WAVERLY, Iowa-- The No. 8 Wartburg baseball team (28-9 overall, 18-8 IIAC) won the series opener against Simpson (10-23, 6-16) in shutout fashion, 5-0, but dropped the second game, 9-5 Sunday.

The Knights took the early lead in the first game when senior DJ Utley (Cedar Rapids) drove in classmate Jackson Litterer (Waverly) on his double. The Orange and Black added to four runs their lead in the third, which included an RBI single from junior Ryan Kemp (Keokuk) and a sacrifice fly from classmate Tyler Willis (Waverly).

The Storm threatened to score in the sixth as they had bases loaded, but all runners were left stranded.

Sophomore Taylor Gilson (Oelwein) earned his team-best seventh win of the season and pitched his first career complete game and struck out four.

In the second game, Simpson took the early 1-0 lead in its first at-bat, but Wartburg answered in the bottom of the inning as Utley drove in Litterer and Willis. Wartburg plated a run in the second as sophomore Tyler Mougin (Walford) scored on Willis' single to right field.

The Storm regained the lead for good in the third as they plated four runs to make it a 5-3 game. After they added two in the fifth, the Knights matched that in the sixth on a two-run homer by junior Milton Croes (Noord, Aruba). Simpson plated its final two runs in the eighth.

Sophomore Jake Thumann (DeWitt) went 3-4 at the plate in this game.

The teams return to the field tomorrow for the final doubleheader of the series.