WAVERLY, Iowa – Baseball wrapped up its three-game regular season series against the University of Dubuque with a doubleheader split on Saturday, Apr. 12 with Dubuque winning game one 8-3 and Wartburg coming back from down 8-1 to take a 12-9 win. Wartburg is now 15-12 overall and 9-7 in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play, while UD moves to 13-13 overall and 5-8 in A-R-C play.
Game Summary
- Game One
- First Inning
- Dubuque got the doubleheader started with a three run top of the first after a three-run homer to right centerfield from Will Sullivan
- Second Inning
- UD added another run in the second when they led off the inning with a solo shot to straight-away center to push the Spartan lead to 4-0
- Wartburg got on the board in the bottom half when Keegan Schmitt doubled off the wall in left centerfield and was eventually was brought home by Caleb Andrews to make it 4-1
- Fifth Inning
- Dubuque added another home run to its total with another solo home run to center field that made the score 5-1
- Will Armstrong scored a run for the Knights in the bottom half of the fifth when Zach Walton hit an RBI-single
- Wartburg added one more run in the fifth when Eliot Jurgensen scored from third on a wild pitch to make the score 5-3
- Seventh Inning
- The Spartans hit their third home run of the game in the seventh inning and then added two runs to follow it to make the score 8-3
- Ninth Inning
- The Knights loaded the bases in the ninth, but were unable to bring any runs across as UD held on for an 8-3 win
- Game Two
- First Inning
- Dubuque again took an early lead in game two with five total runs from just two hits
- Eliot Jurgensen crushed a home run to right field to get one run back for the Knights and make the score 5-1 headed to the second inning
- Second Inning
- UD scored one run and then added a two-run homer in the top of the second inning to push the lead to 8-1
- Griffin Troha tripled to leadoff the bottom of the second for the Knights and then was brought home when Andrews reached on an error
- Andrew Robinson doubled to score Andrews and then Robinson was eventually scored by a Will Armstrong groundout to cut the Spartan lead to 8-4
- Fourth Inning
- The Spartans made it 9-4 in the fourth inning after loading the bases and bringing one run across during a double play
- Seventh Inning
- The Knights got another run back in the seventh inning when a double from Carter Stubitz scored Walton from first base to make the score 9-5 heading into the eighth inning
- Eighth Inning
- Jurgensen made a diving play in center field to close the top half of the eighth
- Following one out, the Knights opened the bottom of the eighth with a solo shot homer from Andrews to make the score 9-6
- Robinson, Jayden Scott and Will Armstrong all singled to load the bases for the Knights which led to a sacrifice fly from Jurgensen and a run from a wild pitch to bring Wartburg within one run
- Walton and Stubitz both reach for the Knights to reload the bases for Schmitt, who sent a no-doubt home run down the left field line for a go-ahead grand slam to give Wartburg a 12-9 lead headed to the ninth inning
- Ninth Inning
Top Performers
KnightVision Replay of Schmitt's 8th Inning Grand Slam
Coaches Comments
"So happy with the way the guys persevered in game two," said head coach
Casey Klunder following a seven-run comeback victory in game two. "We didn't play well enough today in game one, but I'm really proud of the way these guys stayed locked in and kept fighting. I thought the amazing energy from both our dugout and the home fans here today were major factors and I think we fed off that in game two."
"I think one part of today that may go unnoticed to some people is our pitchers in game one today," said Klunder. "Those guys hanging in there and getting us out of that game without going to deep into the bullpen was huge for us in being able to come back in game two. It really was a complete team effort today."
Notes/Streaks
- Knights clinch fourth A-R-C series win of the season
- Now 6-3 at home this season
- Second seven-run comeback for the Knights this season
- Both Jurgensen and Schmitt each hit their fifth home run of the season
- A. Berends is now 2-0 in decisions this season
- Wartburg used five pitchers in each game
- Andrews has recorded an RBI in five of his last six games
- First home run of the season and sixth of his career in game two
- Third save of the season for Co. Funk
- First career triple for Troha
- Walton (16) and Jurgensen (14) each extended their reached-base streaks today
- Jurgensen also has a team-leading nine game hitting streak
Next Time Out
The Knights will be back in action next on Friday, Apr. 18 against Coe College at 6 p.m. in Waverly.
