WAVERLY, Iowa – The Knights closed the regular season at home today with a doubleheader split against Nebraska Wesleyan University. Both games were ended early due to the 10-run rule, NWU took game one 12-2 and Wartburg won game two 17-7. The Orange & Black close the regular season at 22-19 overall and 12-12 in American Rivers Conference play.
Game Summaries
Game 1: Wartburg 2, NWU 12 F/7
Nebraska Wesleyan started game one with a leadoff home run from Evan Kling to make the score 1-0 early in the first. After getting out of the top of the first, the Knights tied the game after a
Max Goodhue triple scored
Eliot Jurgensen.
Ben DeKruyf hit a sacrifice fly to bring Goodhue home and the Orange & Black were up 2-1 after one.
The hot bats of NWU kept going in the second inning as the Prairie Wolves scored two more runs after RBI singles. The Knights left three stranded in the bottom of the second after a bases-loaded strikeout. After two singles and two wild pitches the Prairie Wolves scored again to make the score 4-2.
Nebraska Wesleyan scored two more runs in the fourth after a Derek Kolbush single brought two runners home. NWU scored six runs over the next two innings to take a 12-2 lead after six innings. The Knights were unable to get the offense going as they recorded just two hits from the fourth to the seventh inning.
The Prairie Wolves scored in every inning except the seventh and closed out a 12-2 win
Joey Ciero pitched three innings to start for the Knights and finished with five hits given up and three strike outs. The loss brings his record to 2-6 this season. Both Dreyton LaVeiene and
Malcolm Newell finished the game on the mound for Wartburg.
Goodhue's triple in the first inning was his eighth of the season, which leads all A-R-C athletes. Goodhue and DeKruyf recorded the Knights' only RBI in game one and no players had a multi-hit game.
Game 2: Wartburg 19, NWU 7 F/8
After a 1-2-3 top of the first for starter
Darren Kilpatrick, the Knights offense provided early run support with three across in the bottom of the first. After back-to-back singles and a walk, the bases were loaded for DeKruyf, who singled to score the first two runs.
Keaton Gray singled to bring home the third run home and it was 3-0 Wartburg after the first.
NWU got one hit in the second and none in the third to remain scoreless after the top of the third. In the bottom half,
Zach Walton led the inning off with a solo shot to right-center field. DeKruyf and
Caleb Andrews both singled before Gray hit a two RBI single that extended the lead to 6-0.
The Prairie Wolves got on the board in the top of the fourth after an RBI single and an error led to two runs. The Knights got the runs back in the bottom of the fourth after RBI singles from Walton and Andrews and an RBI double from DeKruyf. After four innings, Wartburg led Nebraska Wesleyan 9-2.
NWU didn't go away though, and in the fifth inning the Praire Wolves scored four runs after back-to-back RBI doubles and an RBI single. The Orange & Black scored one run in the fifth after a Goodhue single scored
Will Armstrong. DeKruyf continued his monster day at the plate in the sixth with another double that led to a two RBI single from
Carter Stubitz.
Kolbush hit a long homerun to center field in the seventh, but NWU's offense couldn't bring any more runs across. The bottom of the seventh was started by back-to-back solo home runs from Goodhue and Walton. The homerun marked Walton's third time this season with a multi-homer game.
The score was 14-7 heading into the bottom of the eighth. Stubitz and Goodhue both singled for another RBI each to push the score to 16-7. Just one run away from the mercy rule, DeKruyf stepped to the plate with two on and sent the first pitch way over the left field wall to end the game on a no doubt about it home run.
DeKruyf led all hitters in game two going 5/6 with six RBI and four runs scored himself. The senior finished his last game at Harms Stadium at Hertel Field with two doubles and a homerun. His home run was the 10
th of the season, and he now sits at 44 RBI, which are both second on the team. His five hit performance was a season-high for hits in a game.
Goodhue finished the contest 3/6 and had three RBI for the Orange & Black. His solo homer in game two was his fourth of the season and the senior now has 35 RBI. His triple in game one tied the single season record for triples in a season with eight. He tied Andy Fischels, who set the mark of eight during the 2000 season. The senior also leads the Knights in hits with 63 after today's games.
Another multi-homer game for Walton put his season total at 12 and moved him up to 53 RBi this season. Walton's homerun mark is tied for third best in a season in school histroy and he is currently sixth all-time in RBI in a season at Wartburg. The first basemen currently leads Wartburg with a batting average of .405 and an OPS of 1.345.
Kilpatrick earned his fourth win of the season in today's start. The senior went six total innings and struck out seven batters in the win. His record is now 4-4 through the regular season and his strike out total has moved to 49, which ranks second among the Wartburg pitching staff.
Aaron Eybers pitched the final two innings and allowed just two hits while striking out two batters. The appearance was his 18
th of the season, which is seven shy of last year's school record 25 appearances. Eybers finishes the regular season with three saves and a record of 2-2.
Next Time Out
The Knights will compete in the A-R-C Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa next week from Thursday, May 12 to Saturday, May 14. The seeding and matchups are all still to be determined.
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