DECORAH, Iowa-- The Wartburg baseball team (15-7 overall, 6-0) defeated Luther (10-10, 3-6) in shutout fashion Friday, 3-0, in the opening game of the weekend series. The Knights also moved their overall winning streak to eight and conference winning streak to six.

The game was scoreless until the third, when junior Blake Mahoney (Des Moines) drove in classmate Cody Hyler (Des Moines) on his sacrifice fly to take the 1-0 lead.

Junior David Fitzgerald (Dubuque) scored in the seventh on a throwing error by the pitcher and senior Samuel Van Fleet (St. Paul) plated classmate Jacob Thumann (DeWitt) from second on his single to left for the final two runs.

Hyler went 2-3 at the plate, and Fitzgerald was 2-4. Senior Taylor Gilson (Oelwein) picked up the complete game victory, allowed just two hits and fanned four.

Only one Norse baserunner advanced past second in the contest.

The teams return to the field Saturday for the doubleheader.