DUBUQUE, Iowa-- The Wartburg baseball team (15-9 overall, 6-4 IIAC) dropped the first game of the conference series 11-2 to Dubuque (13-12, 8-2) Friday.

The Knights took the 2-0 lead in the third, as they took advantage of some fielding errors. The Spartans got on the board in the fourth on an RBI single and took the 3-2 lead on a two-run double later in the frame.

Dubuque added to its lead with four runs in the sixth, and two in both the seventh and eighth. The Spartans finished with 13 hits.

Senior Tanner Eckhart (Monticello, Minn.) pitched 5.2 innings and fanned six.

The teams return to the field tomorrow for the doubleheader in the series.