WAVERLY, Iowa- The Wartburg baseball team (28-12 overall 19-5 IIAC) won its third-straight Iowa Conference Regular Season Championship Saturday. This also marked the 22nd title overall, fourth in the last five years and 16th under head coach Joel Holst.

The Knights defeated Dubuque (23-15, 17-7) in shutout fashion (5-0) in the first game of the doubleheader to seal the title, but fell 3-2 in the finale.



The Orange and Black compiled a three-run third inning on four hits which included an RBI triple from junior Blake Mahoney (Des Moines). In the fourth, junior Cody Hyler (Des Moines) scored from second on senior Austin Lechtenberg's (DeWitt) single up the middle and Hyler drove in senior Jacob Thumann (DeWitt) in the seventh for the final run of the game.

Defensively, Wartburg allowed only one baserunner past first who was eventually left stranded on third.

Hyler and Mahoney each went 3-4 and senior Taylor Gilson (Oelwein) earned his team-leading ninth win as he went the distance.

In the finale, the Knights took the early 1-0 lead in the first and Dubuque knotted it in the seventh on an RBI single. Lechtenberg scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the frame as Mahoney singled up the middle.

The Spartans regained the lead in the ninth with two runs which included an RBI triple. The Orange and Black were unable to compile a rally to split the twinbill.

Junior Eric Willis (Waverly) was 3-5 in this game.

Wartburg will be the top seed for the Iowa Conference Tournament which begins Thursday. The complete bracket should be released early next week.

Waterloo Courier recap