WAVERLY, Iowa – The Wartburg College baseball team (18-13 overall, 9-10 A-R-C) exploded for 16 runs, fueled by a pair of grand slams, to post a 16-0 shutout over Loras College (17-15 overall, 11-8 A-R-C) in Friday night's series opener at Harms Stadium at Hertel Field.

The Knights matched their highest scoring output since March 28, 2025, against Loras (a 21-11 victory), also in the series opener. The result also marked the largest margin of victory over the Duhawks in the two programs' 95-game all-time history.

The Wartburg offense tallied eight extra-base hits, including three home runs, while holding the Duhawks to just three singles. Charlie Krueger notched a career-high five RBIs, aided by a two-run homer and a double. Tanner Jackson extended his hitting streak to nine games with a first-inning grand slam, setting a new career-high with four RBIs. Jayden Scott followed suit in the second inning with the team's second grand slam of the game, also tallying a career-high four RBIs.

The Knights' powerful offense plated 16 runs across the first five innings - four runs in the first, second, fourth, and fifth frames (all earned).

Emerson Alberhasky (3-3) was dominant on the mound, opening his night with a seven-pitch, 1-2-3 inning that included one strikeout. In the bottom half of the first, Griffin Troha led off with a double into the left-center gap. Following walks to Andrew Robinson and Andrew Gallegos, Tanner Jackson connected on his second home run of the season, a grand slam to give the Knights an early 4-0 lead.

In the home half of the second, Keegan Schmitt poked a single down the right-field line. After walks to Troha and Robinson loaded the bases, Scott launched a 0-1 pitch over the right-field fence for the team's second grand slam of the night, pushing the lead to 8-0.

Loras tallied its first hit in the fourth, but Alberhasky responded by striking out two more batters, bringing his total to six through four innings of work.

Alberhasky recorded another pair of strikeouts in the fifth. In the bottom half of the frame, Liam Bender led off with a liner into the right-center gap, and Troha knocked him in on a groundout. Robinson followed with a double, and Gallegos brought him home on an RBI single to extend the lead to 14-0. Krueger capped the night with his third homer of the season to seal the 16-0 victory in seven innings.

Head coach Casey Klunder stated postgame, "I don't think I've ever seen two grand slams hit in the same game, certainly in the first two innings."

"With that momentum early, that just got us off to a great start, and I'm proud of our offense; seeing them just go back to work each day makes the reward ten times better," Klunder added.

Regarding Alberhasky's complete-game shutout, Klunder said, "That's the league's best offense, and for Emerson to throw a three-hit shutout, you know, he's just getting better and it's been so fun to watch him pitch with more and more confidence."

TAKE NOTE

• Alberhasky finished just one strikeout shy of his career-high (13), recording 12 punchouts in the shutout. His final line: 7.0 innings, three hits, zero runs, one walk, and 12 strikeouts over 26 batters faced. It was his second seven-inning complete game of the season.
• Andrew Robinson is now one hit-by-pitch away from tying the single-season program record of 24, held by Vernon Birmingham (2000).
• Wartburg secured its largest margin of victory against Loras in their 95-game history.
• The Knights lead the all-time series 60-35 and have won their last two games against the Duhawks.
• Wartburg is now 36-19 all-time at Harms Stadium at Hertel Field and 7-4 at home this season.
• Scott, Krueger, and Jackson all tallied career-highs in RBIs in the game.

UP NEXT
Wartburg will honor its 10 Seniors in between tomorrow's doubleheader beginning at Noon.