WAVERLY, Iowa – Wartburg was defeated 6-2 at home on Monday, Apr. 11 against Luther in the third and final game of the regular season series. The Knights won the previous two matchups in Decorah, Iowa back on Tuesday, Mar. 29.
Game Summary
Both sides started the game with two scoreless innings and just one hit combined. Luther struck first on the scoreboard in the third inning after a single up the middle brought home the first run of the game. The Norse tacked on another run in the top of the fourth after a leadoff double eventually brought in the second run of the game.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth,
Caleb Andrews got the Knights' first hit of the game but with runners on the corner Luther was able to escape the jam. The Norse started the fifth inning with a triple and then two batters later a double scored two more runs to make it 4-0. Wartburg's offense was able to get one run back in the bottom half of the fifth after
Bryce Butler singled to cause an error that brought
Carter Stubitz home for the Knights' first run.
Luther's bats did not cool down in the sixth inning as they put two more runs up after a long two-run homerun from Noah Sebben. After a nice diving catch off the mound from reliever
Max Hansen, the Knights got out of the inning without anymore runs given up.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Knights scored again when Stubitz hit an RBI double to bring
Keaton Gray across. After two hitless innings pitched by
Kyle Thompson, the Knights were headed to final inning down 6-2.
Kyle Oberbroeckling closed the final inning on the mound and struck out his final two batters. Other than another Andrews single the Knights were unable to rally in the ninth and fell 6-2.
The Orange & Black's offense was led by Stubitz today, who was 2/3 at the plate and hit both of Wartburg's doubles for a total of one RBI. Andrews also had a multi-hit game for the Knights going 2/4.
Joey Ciero started on the mound and pitched four innings for the Knights in today's contest. The loss brings his record to 2-4 on the season through seven starts.
Thompson made his fifth appearance on the mound this season today and allowed no hits through his two innings pitched. Oberbroeckling pitched just his second inning of the season today and made the most of it with two strikeouts and no hits.
Wartburg is now 18-11 overall and moves to 8-4 in American Rivers Conference play.
Next Time Out
The Knights will be in action next on the road Friday, Apr. 15 when they begin a three-game series against the conference leading Beavers from Buena Vista University.
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