WAVERLY, Iowa – The Wartburg College baseball team rode a dominant outing on the mound to a 5-1 victory over Buena Vista University in Saturday's American Rivers Conference series opener at Harms Stadium at Hertel Field.

A trio of Wartburg pitchers combined to allow just one hit on the afternoon, led by starter Emerson Alberhasky (2-3). The sophomore right-hander tossed seven innings, surrendering just one run (unearned) on one hit while striking out 10. The Knights did not allow a hit after the fourth inning and struck out a total of 13 Beavers.

With the win, Wartburg improves to 15-11 overall and 6-8 in conference play, while Buena Vista falls to 9-23 overall and 5-13 in the A-R-C.

Wartburg struck quickly in the bottom of the first. Griffin Troha led off the inning with a solo home run to right field, and after Andrew Robinson was hit by a pitch, Tanner Jackson delivered a two-out RBI single to double the lead. Charlie Krueger followed with a two-run double down the right-field line to cap a four-run frame and give the Knights a 4-0 advantage.

The Knights threatened again in the third, loading the bases, but Buena Vista worked out of the inning to keep the lead at four.

The Beavers recorded their lone hit of the game to open the fourth inning, breaking up Alberhasky's no-hit bid, and later pushed across a run to make it 4-1. Alberhasky responded by recording back-to-back strikeouts to limit the damage.

Wartburg added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning, as Jayden Scott executed a bunt to score Liam Bender and extend the lead to 5-1.

Alberhasky capped his outing with his 10th strikeout in the seventh, marking his fifth career double-digit strikeout performance and third of the season. Alberhasky then handed the ball off to Miles Mudd to start the eighth after allowing just one hit across seven complete innings.

Mudd worked a scoreless eighth, and Zach Byrne closed out the game in the ninth, needing just six pitches to secure the victory.

Head coach Casey Klunder praised his staff's performance following the game.
"Emerson was just awesome - that's the best he's looked all year. He was in control from the start," Klunder said. "Really proud of our entire pitching staff today. The guys out of the bullpen showed how dominant we can be."

"Feels great to finally get a Game 1 win in this conference," head coach Casey Klunder said, as the Knights secured their first A-R-C weekend series-opening victory of the season.
 
TAKE NOTE

• Wartburg evened the all-time series with Buena Vista at 52-52
• Andrew Robinson extended his on-base streak to 26 games
• Griffin Troha and Charlie Krueger each recorded two hits
• Troha's first-inning home run marked Wartburg's lone long ball
• Krueger led the team with two RBIs
• Alberhasky earned his second win of the season
• Mudd and Byrne combined for three strikeouts over the final two innings

UP NEXT
Wartburg will conclude the series against Buena Vista on Sunday, April 19, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Harms Stadium at Hertel Field.