AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Wartburg College baseball team rounded off its Florida trip with a doubleheader sweep over Calvin University to win its fourth-straight win on Saturday at the RussMatt Invitational.
The Knights used a double-digit strikeout performance by starter
Emerson Alberhasky and walk-off winner by
Andrew Gallegos, 4-3. In game two, Wartburg held a 5-3 lead the rest of the way after scoring three runs in the sixth.
Wartburg improves to 7-3 on the season while Calvin slips to 3-3.
GAME ONE – WARTBURG 4, CALVIN 3 (7 INN.)
Wartburg was held to a 3-1 deficit up until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Knights rallied off a trio of runs, capped by
Andrew Gallegos' game-winning single to score
Griffin Troha in from third.
Starter
Emerson Alberhasky (1-0) recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts through all seven innings, while just allowing five hits and three runs (two earned).
On the offensive end, Wartburg struck out just four times and out-hit Calvin, 7-to-5.
Keegan Schmitt,
Jayden Scott, and Gallegos powered the attack with two-hit performances.
Charlie Krueger notched the Knights' lone extra base hit with a double in the second.
Calvin strung together two runs on two hits in the top of the first and tacked on another in the second to claim a 3-0 lead.
Wartburg responded with a run one the Krueger double that brought in Gallegos to cut it to 3-1.
Alberhasky tallied his eighth strikeout in the top of the fourth to keep Calvin off the scoreboard for the remainder of the seven-inning contest.
Still trailing 3-1 in the seventh, the Knights gained momentum when
Andrew Robinson wore a pitch to lead off the frame.
Liam Bender reached on a Calvin error to stick runners on first and second with no outs. Both Bender and Robinson advanced on a wild pitch.
Troha loaded the bases, as Calvin made a replacement on the bump. Schmitt welcomed the new arm win an RBI-single down the right field line, as Scott repeated to knot the game up at three. Gallegos then stepped up to the plate and walked off Calvin with Wartburg's third-consecutive RBI-single to take a 4-3 win in game one.
GAME TWO – WARTBURG 5, CALVIN 3 (7 INN.)
Wartburg completed the doubleheader sweep of Calvin with a three-run sixth inning to hold a 5-3 lead throughout the remainder of the game.
Gallegos paced the offense with a pair of hits and RBI, as Bender tallied a double while going 2-for-2. Scott drew a game-high three walks at the plate.
Nick Nin got the nod for game two, getting through 4.2 innings of work. Nin allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits and three strikeouts.
Cael Funk relieved Nin in the fifth before giving up the ball for the final out to
Conner Funk who earned the save.
Calvin took a swift 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout in the top of the first inning, after Wartburg drew a pair of walks in the opening frame.
Gallegos continued his hot day from the plate with a leadoff single to center in the fourth, followed by a hit-by-pitch from Krueger.
Tanner Jackson put one in play and scored Krueger in from second on an error – Gallegos was thrown out at third on the play.
The fifth inning began when Bender singled through the left side, later advancing to second on a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning, Scott drew a walk that brought up Gallegos, who drove in Bender on another RBI single to lead 2-1.
Calvin then regained a 3-2 lead in the bottom half.
Schmitt drew a four-pitch bases loaded walk to knot the game up at three in the sixth, as Bender came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Knights a 4-3 lead. Wartburg would tack on another run to win its final four games in Florida.
UP NEXT
Wartburg takes a flight back to Waverly to host a home-opening series against St. Olaf (3-3 overall) beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 14 at 1 p.m., at Hertel Field. The series will wrap up on Sunday, March 15 at noon.
