CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The Wartburg College baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader against Coe College, earning a 12-11 victory in game one before falling 12-11 in the series finale.

The Knights totaled 14 hits in the game one win, while the Kohawks answered with a narrow victory in game two to take the conference-opening series.

Wartburg moves to 10-5 overall and 1-2 in American Rivers Conference play, while Coe improves to 17-6 overall and 2-1 in the league.
 
GAME ONE – Wartburg 12, Coe 11
A trio of Knights homered to power a 14-hit offensive performance in a high-scoring opener. Drew Conrad, Tanner Jackson and Nolan Heard each went deep, while Keegan Schmitt added an extra-base hit.

On the mound, Zach Byrne (1-1) earned the win in relief, tossing 2.2 innings with four strikeouts. Starter Cael Funk delivered 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four.

Coe jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a run in the first and three in the second before Wartburg answered in the third. After Liam Bender was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Griffin Troha and Schmitt recorded consecutive hits to load the bases. Andrew Robinson drove in the Knights' first run with a single to right, and a bases-loaded walk issued to Garrett Kadolph cut the deficit to 4-3.

After scoreless fourth and fifth innings, Wartburg took its first lead in the sixth. Heard opened the frame with an infield single before Troha reached on an error. Jayden Scott delivered a two-RBI single up the middle to give the Knights a 5-4 edge.

Coe briefly regained the lead in the bottom half, but Wartburg responded with four runs in the seventh. Conrad launched his first home run of the season to put the Knights back in front, and Heard followed with a two-run blast to center field, extending the lead to 9-6.
In the eighth, Jackson added insurance with a three-run home run to push the advantage to 12-6.

The Kohawks threatened late, scoring once in the eighth and three times in the ninth, but Conner Funk closed the door, allowing just one run to secure the 12-11 victory.
 
GAME TWO – Coe 12, Wartburg 11
Coe College delivered its second walk-off of the three-game series to secure a 12-11 victory in the finale, overcoming an early deficit by Wartburg College.

Despite surpassing its 14-hit output from game one, Wartburg's early momentum was erased after building a 7-0 lead through two innings. The Kohawks answered with a seven-run sixth inning to swing the game in their favor.

Griffin Troha led the offensive effort with a three-hit performance, including two home runs and two RBIs. Drew Conrad also homered for the second time on the day, finishing with another multi-RBI performance.

Wartburg wasted no time offensively, plating five runs in the first inning. Troha and Keegan Schmitt opened with singles before Jayden Scott delivered an RBI double. Conrad followed with a three-run home run to center, extending the lead to 4-0. Later in the frame, Liam Bender drove in Tanner Jackson, who doubled down the left field line, to make it 5-0.

Starter Nicholas Nin kept Coe off the board early, tossing five innings with three strikeouts.

The Knights added two more runs in the second inning as Scott doubled again, while Andrew Robinson and Garrett Kadolph each drove in a run to push the advantage to 7-0.

After Coe chipped away with runs in the third and fourth, Troha extended the lead to 8-3 with a leadoff home run in the fifth.

The game shifted dramatically in the sixth, as the Kohawks erupted for seven runs on seven hits to take a 10-8 lead.

Wartburg responded late, as Troha launched his second home run of the game in the eighth. Robinson delivered a clutch two-out RBI to tie the game at 10-10, and the Knights reclaimed an 11-10 lead when Scott scored on a wild pitch.

In the bottom of the ninth, Coe led off with a triple and capitalized on a hit-by-pitch and a defensive miscue to even the score. A subsequent wild pitch allowed the winning run to cross, handing the Knights a 12-11 setback.

Conner Funk (0-1) was charged with the loss in relief.
 
UP NEXT
Wartburg returns home to face Luther College in its home opener on Tuesday, March 24. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Harms Stadium at Hertel Field.