STORM LAKE, Iowa – The Wartburg College Knights (8-23 overall, 5-13 A-R-C) dropped their doubleheader against the Buena Vista University Beavers (15-16, 8-8) on Saturday afternoon. Wartburg fell 15-8 in game one and 6-2 in game two.
The Knights struck first in game one with a RBI single from sophomore
Parker Ridge (Marion) to take the early 1-0 lead. The Beavers responded with a two-run first inning, highlighted by a RBI single to jump out to the 2-1 lead. Buena Vista added another run at the bottom of the second off of a sac fly, followed by three more at the bottom of the third to extend their lead to five (6-1).
The Knights trimmed the lead to four (6-2) after plating a run at the top of the fourth by way of a RBI from junior
Manny Jeffery (Marion). Buena Vista responded with four more runs at the bottom of the fourth to push their lead to eight (10-2). The Orange and Black got a big boost from Jeffery at the top of the fifth, as the junior connected on his first career grand slam to trim the Knights' deficit to three (10-7).
The Beavers tacked on two more runs at the bottom of the fifth and another three at the bottom of the seventh to jump out to a 15-6 lead. Wartburg plated one run at the top of the eighth to get within seven (15-8), but would fail to score again before falling to the Beavers, 15-8.
In game two, Buena Vista took an early 3-0 lead after scoring the game's first three runs at the bottom of the first, highlighted by a two RBI home run. Wartburg responded with a run at the top of the second when freshman
Jarod Harris (Manchester) singled to score junior
Andrew Walker (Eagan, Minn.) to trim the deficit to two (3-1).
Buena Vista scored their fourth run of the game at the bottom of the third inning off of an error that scored the runner on third base to extend the lead to 4-1. Buena Vista plated another two at the bottom of the fifth inning to push their lead to five (6-1). The Knights were able to score one at the top of the eighth off of a home run by Ridge to get within four (6-2), but would fail to score again in the loss.
Wartburg will return to the diamond for a three-game series at home with the Simpson College Storm beginning on Friday, April 26 at 6 p.m.