WAVERLY, Iowa – Wartburg baseball is set to host four American Rivers Conference games between Saturday, Apr. 9 and Monday, Apr. 11 against the University of Dubuque and Luther College.
Saturday, Apr. 9 – 1:00 p.m.
– Waverly, Iowa – Harms Stadium at Hertel Field
Wartburg Knights (16-9, 6-2 A-R-C) vs Dubuque Spartans (12-9, 4-5 A-R-C)
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Saturday, Apr. 9 – Following Game 1
– Waverly, Iowa – Harms Stadium at Hertel Field
Wartburg Knights (16-9, 6-2 A-R-C) vs Dubuque Spartans (12-9, 4-5 A-R-C)
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Sunday, Apr. 10 – 2:00 p.m.
– Waverly, Iowa – Harms Stadium at Hertel Field
Wartburg Knights (16-9, 6-2 A-R-C) vs Dubuque Spartans (12-9, 4-5 A-R-C)
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Monday, Apr. 11 – 6:00 p.m.
– Waverly, Iowa – Harms Stadium at Hertel Field
Wartburg Knights (16-9, 6-2 A-R-C) vs Luther Norse (12-8, 5-3 A-R-C)
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Last Time Out
The Orange & Black are coming off a sweep of Central College, including 35 runs scored between the two eight-inning games in the doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 2 in Pella, Iowa. Wartburg has won five in a row and currently has the best conference record with a mark of 6-2 in A-R-C games.
Game 1: Wartburg 17, Central 2 (8 Innings)
The Knights led game one the whole way after jumping out to a first-inning lead and never looking back. After leading 5-2 in the seventh inning,
Cael Boehmer put Wartburg up two more runs after a two-run homer for his third and fourth RBI of the game.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Knights scored 10 runs to break the game wide open. The offensive explosion was highlighted by doubles from
Ben DeKruyf and
Carter Stubitz as well as a bases-clearing triple from
Max Goodhue.
Max Hansen closed the bottom of the inning on the mound to secure the 17-2 win in game one.
The Orange & Black had seven extra-base hits and three players with three or more RBI in game one. Wartburg's 17 runs scored was a season high. Boehmer led all Knights in RBI with four and hit his first career homerun today for the Knights. Both Goodhue and
Zach Wesolowski hit triples, while four Knights hit doubles.
Game 2: Wartburg 18, Central 9 (8 Innings)
Both teams started game two with a scoreless first inning.
Zach Walton doubled to lead off the second and then was hit in by Boehmer to make the score 1-0 early.
The Knights had a big third inning that started with a one out double from Wesolowski that led to the bases being loaded. Andrews hit a single to score one run and move the runners along. Then, with two outs, Stubitz hit a grand slam to make the score 6-0. Central got two runs back in the bottom of the third after an error and a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the fourth inning,
Aaron Eybers replaced starter
Joey Ciero on the mound to get the last two outs of the inning. After going three up and three down on offense, the Knights allowed three runs in the bottom of the fifth to bring the score to 6-5.
Dreyton LaVeine came in to start the sixth inning on the mound and after back-to-back singles from the Dutch, a double scored two runs and gave Central its first lead of the game. The very next batter homered to make the score 9-6 Central and then
Max Hansen was subbed in to finish the inning on the mound.
In the top of the seventh the Orange & Black got three walks and a single to get one run back and reload the bases. A fielding error brought two more runs across to tie the game at nine. DeKruyf cleared the bases with a no-out grand slam to give the Knights a 13-9 lead. After a Walton RBI double,
Caleb Andrews closed the 11-run inning with a two-run shot to make the score 17-9 heading to the bottom of the seventh. The Knights added one more run in the eighth to closeout an 18-9 win in eight innings.
Hansen earned the win on the mound after three innings pitched in relief and five strikeouts. The win is his first of the season and he allowed just two hits over his three innings pitched.
The Orange & Black had seven different players record an RBI and two players had four RBI in Stubitz and DeKruyf. Andrews finished 2/4 with three RBI and three runs scored for the Knights. Wartburg had four doubles and three homeruns (two grand slams) for a total of seven extra-base hits.
Wartburg's 18 runs scored resets the season high after game one's 17 run performance.
Season Leaders
Andrews leads the Wartburg offense with a batting average of .405 and has batted in eight runs. The team leader in RBI is Walton with 37. The sophomore first basemen has hit a team-high 17 extra-base hits, including six homeruns which is tied for second in the A-R-C.
Goodhue is hitting .379 through 22 games played and is tied for the conference lead in triples hit with three. As a team, the Orange & Black have nine batters with at least one homerun this season.
Dylan Gotto leads Wartburg pitchers in wins this season with a starting record of 4-2 and leads the A-R-C in innings pitched with 40 total. The senior ace has struck out 44 batters in his time on the mound, which puts him at third in the conference.
Eybers has appeared in 10 games for the Knights and in just 19 innings pitched, the relief pitcher has earned a win and a team-high two saves. The Sioux City, Iowa native's two saves are tied for fourth-most in the A-R-C.
The Knights have five pitchers with at least two wins on the mound. Both Gotto and Dreyton Laveine have thrown two complete games each so far this season.
Dubuque
The Spartans enter the series with Wartburg with a 12-9 overall record and a 4-5 conference mark. In its last game Dubuque defeated Coe College 11-5 on Wednesday, Apr. 6. Before that win the Spartans had lost five straight A-R-C games.
Parker Allen and Jake Cekander lead the Spartan's offense with 12 RBI each. Allen is batting .273 and has hit four doubles and two triples. Cekander has drawn 17 combined walks and hit by pitches through 21 games played.
Aiden Sullivan leads UD in innings pitched with 33.1 and is second on the team in strikeouts with 24. Edward Rosas has 25 strikeouts to lead the Spartans and is 2-1 as a starter through six total appearances.
Luther
After picking up two wins earlier this season over Luther, the Knights will close the season series with t
he Norse at home on Monday, Apr. 11. Luther enters the weekend with a record of 12-8 overall and 5-3 in the A-R-C. The Norse will be on the road Saturday against Hamline for a doubleheader before facing the Knights.
Luther swept the University of Dubuque in their last contests after two close wins and a 10-1 game two victory.
Gavin Scurr has a batting average of .418 and has hit 18 extra-base hits, including six homeruns. Cullen Stamp is a perfect 14-14 stealing bases through 20 games played and is batting .343 for the Norse.
Luther has two pitchers in their rotation with 30+ innings in Ryan Manternach and Tyler Boesel. Manternach has a 3-0 record through six starts and has an ERA of 3.27. Boesel is top five in the conference in strikeouts with 37 and has a record of 2-1 through five starts.
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