WAVERLY, Iowa – Wartburg baseball took the field at Harms Stadium at Hertel Field for the first time in the 2024 season and came away with a doubleheader split against the St. Olaf Oles on Saturday, Mar. 16. The Knights move to 9-3 overall to begin the season.
 

• Game One
  • First Inning
    • After Keaton Gray and Eliot Jurgensen both reached base to start the first, Zach Walton came to the plate and hit a three-run shot to right field to make the score 3-0 early
  • Second Inning
    • Jurgensen hit an RBI double with two outs to push the lead to 4-0
  • Fifth Inning
    • After strong defensive innings from the Knights and starting pitcher Cael Boehmer, Wartburg added another run when Wiley Sullivan tripled to bring Garrett Kadolph all the way around from first base
  • Sixth Inning
    • Gray doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning and then scored a few batters later after a passed ball to make the score 6-0 through six innings
  • Seventh Inning
    • The Oles got on the board after two hits in the seventh to cut the Wartburg lead to 6-1
  • Ninth Inning
    • After relief work on the mound from Conner Funk, Will Armstrong came into the final inning to close a 6-1 win on the mound for the Knights

Top Performers

• Cael Boehmer
  • 6.2 innings pitched
  • Five strikeouts
  • Two hits allowed
• Zach Walton
  • 3-run HR
  • Three RBI
• Keaton Gray
  • Three hits
  • Double
  • Three runs scored
  • Three stolen bases

 

• Game Two
  • First Inning
    • Jurgensen singled and Walton was hit by a pitch to get two runners on base early for Wartburg
    • Sam Nicolino hit a sacrifice fly to score Jurgensen and give Wartburg an early 1-0 lead
  • Third Inning
    • St. Olaf put two runs on the board in the top half of the third to take the lead after a double to left field
  • Fourth Inning
    • The Oles scored another two runs the following inning after a single back up the middle brought two across
    • Wartburg fully took advantage of two Oles errors as Noah Day, Sullivan and Gray (two RBI) all recorded an RBI to give the Knights a 6-4 lead
  • Fifth Inning
    • St. Olaf scored two runs for a third straight inning in the top of the fifth to tie the game at six all
  • Sixth Inning
    • St. Olaf added another run to take the a 7-6 lead
  • Ninth Inning
    • The Oles added a run after a bases loaded walk to make the score 8-6

Top Performers

• Keaton Gray
  • Two RBI
  • Stolen base
• Brandon Ridderhoff
  • Five strikeouts
• Sam Nicolino
  • RBI
  • Stolen base
  • Walk

 
Coaches Comments
Head Coach Casey Klunder began his postgame thoughts by thanking the crowd who turned out to see the Knights' home opener, "our crowd was awesome today, really thankful for everyone who braved the elements today."
 
"It was almost divine intervention" said Klunder about Will Armstrong being able to close out the win in game one during Wartburg's First Responder Appreciation Day after the connection the Armstrong family and Waverly first responders have built.
 
"Walton's first inning home run was a huge way to get us started in game one," said Klunder.
 
Klunder on game two, "We knew they (St. Olaf) could hit the ball, as they out-hit the University of Minnesota earlier this week. We knew it was only a matter of time before the hits started coming, so hats off to them on executing in game two" Klunder continued.
 
Notes/Streaks

• Sullivan recorded his first career triple
• 20^th career home run for Walton
  • Moves into sole possession of sixth all-time in home runs at Wartburg
  • One of six players to have 20+ home runs at Wartburg
• All-time series moves to 8-3 in favor of Wartburg

 
Next Time Out
The Knights are back in action on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 22-23 to open American Rivers Conference play against Coe College on the road.