PELLA, Iowa-- The No. 26 Wartburg baseball team (24-8 overall, 17-3 IIAC) completed the season sweep of Central (7-23, 5-13) Saturday with a 6-3 and 5-3 win. This marked the first conference series sweep for the Knights since taking all four games against Simpson to open the conference schedule. The Orange and Black have won three of the four games in the other series' to date.

In the first game, Wartburg jumped to the early 3-0 lead in the first thanks to a two-run shot by junior Jake Thumann (DeWitt). The Dutch evened the score with three runs in their second which included a two-run double. Thumann scored in the fourth on an RBI single down the left field line by senior Robbie Anstoetter (Farley) and the Knights plated two in the fifth on two RBI singles by sophomores Blake Mahoney (Des Moines) and Clay Henning (Plymouth, Wis.).

Junior Max Langheinrich (Minnetonka, Minn.) earned the win as he threw his fourth complete game of the season and struck out two.

In the finale, the game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Central scored twice. The Orange and Black evened the score in the seventh on a fielding error and a single from sophomore Cody Hyler (Des Moines). The Dutch regained the lead on a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Wartburg scored the game-winning runs in the top of the ninth as senior Tanner Johnson (Oak Creek, Wis.) singled up the middle to score pinch runner sophomore David Fitzgerald (Dubuque), Anstoetter, who pinch ran for Johnson, and senior Tyler Willis (Waverly) both scored on Mahoney's double to left centerfield.

Mahoney led the team at the plate as he went 3-5.

The Knights return to the field next Friday when they host Loras.