PELLA, Iowa-- The No. 26 Wartburg baseball team (22-8 overall, 15-3 IIAC) took the first doubleheader in the weekend series, 8-5 and 5-3, over Central Friday.

After the Dutch took the early 4-1 lead in their first, the Knights tallied one in the third before three in the fourth which included a two-run double by senior Milton Croes (Noord, Aruba). Junior Jake Thumann (DeWitt) gave the Orange and Black the 7-4 lead with his two-run homer in the fifth. Each team scored one in the sixth and Central had runners on second and third with one out in its last at-bat, but the next two players were retired to seal the win for Wartburg.

Blake Mahoney and Clay Henning each went 3-4 and Taylor Gilson pitched the complete game.

In the second game, the Knights took the early lead as Mahoney hit a leadoff home run and Thumann scored on senior Ryan Kemp's (Keokuk) double to make it 2-0.

The Dutch got on the scoreboard with a solo shot of their own in the second and the Orange and Black tallied two more runs in the fourth to take the 4-1 lead. Central scored its final run of the day in the fifth on an RBI single to centerfield. Henning scored Wartburg's final run as he crossed on Croes' single to center.

Parker Bolt pitched the complete game to earn the win.

The two teams conclude the series Saturday at 1 p.m.