INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Wartburg College baseball team improved to 3-0 on the season Saturday, closing its Indiana trip with a pair of victories over Heidelberg University and Ripon College at Grand Park.

The Knights pulled away late to secure a 4-1 win over Heidelberg before erupting offensively in a 15-5, seven-inning victory against Ripon.
 
GAME ONE – WARTBURG 4, HEIDELBERG 1
Wartburg picked up its second win of the season with a 4-1 victory over Heidelberg. Jayden Scott led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, while Griffin Troha delivered a two-RBI triple in the ninth to pad the Knights' three-run lead.

Cael Funk (1-0) earned his first win of the season, tossing 5.2 innings and allowing just one earned run. Owen Greco (1) relieved Funk in the sixth and retired the final 3.1 innings scoreless, striking out four without allowing a hit.

Wartburg got early opportunities with hits from Scott and Keegan Schmitt in the opening frame, but a double steal ended with Scott thrown out at home. Heidelberg struck first with a single up the middle in the second to take a 1-0 lead.

The Knights tied it in the sixth with a leadoff walk from Scott, followed by a hit-by-pitch to Schmitt and a hit from Andrew Robinson to load the bases. A passed ball evened the score at 1-1 before a pitching change. Charlie Krueger then drove in Schmitt on a sacrifice fly to give Wartburg a 2-1 lead.

In the ninth, pinch-hitter Dylan Stockdale drew a walk, followed by a double from Bode Nagelmaker to put runners in scoring position. Troha stepped up with a two-out, two-RBI triple down the right-field line to extend the lead to 4-1, which held for the win.
 
GAME TWO – WARTBURG 15, RIPON 5 (7 INN.) 
Wartburg struck early and often in a 15-5, seven-inning win over Ripon. The Knights plated three runs in the first, powered by extra-base hits from Troha, Andrew Gallegos, Scott, and Schmitt.

Starter Nick Nin (1-0) held Ripon scoreless through the second, while Wartburg added two more runs on a pair of triples to take a 5-0 lead. The offense continued to roll, batting around the lineup to build a 10-0 lead by the third inning.

Ripon cut the lead to 10-5 through the third and fifth innings, but Wartburg responded with a Cole Grider sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Gehring Turner. Troha followed with an RBI double, and Gallegos added another run to push the lead to 15-5.

Tucker Ladeburg relieved Nin in the sixth, and Miles Mudd closed the game in the seventh, retiring Ripon in order to cap a perfect 3-0 weekend for the Knights.

*Stats will be provided once finalized*

UP NEXT
Wartburg heads to Duane Banks Field in Iowa City, Iowa, to take on the University of Iowa at 4:05 p.m.