WAVERLY, Iowa – Wartburg baseball opened American Rivers Conference play at home on Sunday, Mar. 27, where they split a doubleheader with Coe. The Knights took game one 1-0 and fell in game two 0-9 to bring their overall record to 11-8.
Game Summaries
Game 1: Wartburg 1, Coe 0
Watburg got the first hit of the game in the bottom of the first and then an error put runners on the corners early, but the Kohawks got out of trouble to keep the game 0-0. Coe started the next inning with two singles but Wartburg turned a double play and then
Dylan Gotto struck the final batter out swinging to escape the inning.
Both teams got runners on and in scoring position over the next innings, but neither could capitalize and take the lead. The Orange & Black had bases loaded in the third but were unable to drive any runs home.
Coe's starting pitcher, TJ Deardorff, went six innings before being replaced and Gotto went eight innings for the Knights in his start.
In the eighth inning, doubles from
Zach Walton and
Keaton Gray broke the 0-0 tie to make it 1-0 Wartburg.
Aaron Eybers closed the game on the mound for the Knights to secure the 1-0 victory and his second save of the season.
Gray hit one of two extra-base hits in game one and drove in the only run. Gray finished 1/1 at the plate with one hit by pitch and one walk drawn.
Max Goodhue led the Knights in hits going 2-4 in game one.
Gotto went eight innings in his start and allowed zero runs off four hits. The senior collected four strikeouts in the win and is now 2-2 overall as a starter.
Game 2: Wartburg 0, Coe 9
In a complete turnaround from game one, game two got underway with a three-run top of the first from Coe. Wartburg was hitless through two innings and the Kohawks added another run in the the third inning after a wild pitch.
The Orange & Black got their first hit in the third after a single from
Ben DeKruyf but were unable to score. From the fourth inning until the eighth inning, Wartburg recorded just two hits and Coe recorded no hits.
After Coe had nothing going at the plate in the eighth, Wartburg got a big hit in the bottom of the eighth when DeKruyf doubled to right-centerfield with one out. The Knights advanced DeKruyf to third but were unable to bring him home.
Coe tacked on five runs in the top of the ninth inning to secure the game two victory.
Darren Kilpatrick got the start on the mound in game two and pitched seven innings in the loss. Kilpatrick got four strikeouts and walked just two batters. The senior is now 1-3 in starts this season.
Max Hansen,
Kyle Thompson and
Malcolm Newell pitched the final two innings for the Knights.
Caleb Andrews and Dekruyf both were 2-4 at the plate and led the Knights with two hits each. DeKruyf's double was the only extra-base hit of the day or the Orange & Black.
Next Time Out
The Knights will close the three-game series against Coe on Monday, Mar. 28 with another home game set for 3 p.m.
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