CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Knights opened the American Rivers Conference Tournament on Thursday, May 12 with a 13-2 win over Nebraska Wesleyan and then a 13-10 loss to Loras.
Game Summaries
No. 6 Wartburg 13, No. 3 Nebraska Wesleyan 2
The Orange & Black jumped on the scoreboard early after an RBI double from
Max Goodhue and an RBI single from
Keaton Gray made the score 2-0 after the top of the first.
Dylan Gotto started on the bump for the Knights and allowed just two hits through his first five innings of work.
The Knights offense cooled off in the second and third inning before a seven-run explosion in the top of the fourth. The inning started with singles from
Bryce Butler and
Will Armstrong and Butler scored the first run of the inning after a passed ball. Goodhue doubled again to bring in another run and then
Ben DeKruyf cleared the bases with a three-RBI double.
Caleb Andrews and Gray both singled to keep the inning alive. Gray's single scored DeKruyf and Andrews scored from a fielding error to make the score 9-0.
Gotto kept the Prairie Wolves scoreless through the fifth and sixth innings with three strike outs. After another scoreless top half for the Orange & Black, Loras put two runs up in the bottom of the seventh after a two-RBI double.
Wartburg responded in the top of the eighth by loading the bases early and getting two runs from the Duhawks walking Andrews and Gray. Butler added two more runs with a single down the left field line that pushed the score to 13-2. NWU went down 1-2-3 with two strikeouts in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
Seven Knights had multi-hit games against the Prairie Wolves and Goodhue led all hitters with three hits in five at bats. The senior doubled twice, batted in two runs and scored three runs in the 13-2 win.
Gotto went all eight innings for the Knights and earned his seventh winning decision of the season. The senior lefty struck out 11 in the start and allowed just six hits. This is Gotto's fifth start that he's ended with 10+ strike outs this season.
Both DeKruyf and Gray finished with three RBI days at the plate. DeKruyf finished 3/5 with a double and Gray finished 3/4 with one walk.
No. 6 Wartburg 7, No. 2 Loras 13
Eliot Jurgensen and
Zach Walton were hit by a pitch to get on base in the top of the first when DeKruyf homered to left to give the Knights a 3-0 lead. After a scoreless bottom of the first and top of the second, Loras responded with nine runs in the bottom of the second. Seven of the nine runs were unearned, and the Knights faced a seven-run deficit going into the third inning.
Singles from Jurgensen, Goodhue and Walton to lead off the inning led to one run as DeKruyf batted the lone run in after hitting into a double play. The Duhawks were held to one hit in no runs in the bottom half and the score was 9-4 after three innings. The Knights had no runs in the fourth, while Loras added three runs in the bottom of the fourth. The three runs came from an error and a two-RBI triple.
Jurgensen hit a solo home run to leadoff the top of the fifth inning to get one run back. After nothing in the bottom half of the inning from Loras, The Duhawks led 12-5 after five innings. Gray, Butler and Armstrong all reached base in the top of the sixth and Jurgensen drove the first run home with an RBI sacrifice fly. Goodhue then stepped the plate and delivered a two-out RBI single to cut the lead to 12-7 after six innings.
Wartburg was unable to bring any runs across in the seventh inning, but Loras added a run from an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to push the lead to 13-7. Neither team scored in the eighth, but Wartburg scored three runs in the ninth from a two-RBI double from Gray and a sacrifice fly from
Cole Wessling. Loras closed out the ninth after giving up three runs and held on to win 13-10.
Gray led the Knights in hits against the Duhawks, going four for five with two RBI and two runs scored. Two of his four hits were doubles, which were the only two of the game for Wartburg.
DeKruyf batted in a team high four runs in the loss, including his 11
th home run of the season. He now has 51 RBI this season and 24 RBI in his last eight games. Jurgensen's home run in the fifth inning was his second of the season.
Kyle Thompson finished the final four innings on the mound and allowed just four hits and one run, while striking out two batters.
Next Time Out
With the loss against Loras, all games are now win or go home for the Orange & Black going forward in the tournament. The Knights will continue A-R-C Tournament play Friday, May 13 at either 4 p.m. (If BVU wins vs. Coe) or at 7 p.m. (If Coe wins vs. BVU).
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