DECATUR, Ill. – The Wartburg College baseball team dropped a 9-3 decision to top-seeded Baldwin Wallace University in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Decatur Regional Friday afternoon at Workman Family Baseball Field.
The Knights move to 26-16 overall on the season after recording eight hits against Yellow Jackets starter Brit Kostura, who tossed a complete game to improve to 10-3 on the year.
Sophomore
Owen Greco (3-4) was charged with the loss for Wartburg after allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits across 4.1 innings of work.
Wartburg returns to action Saturday, May 16 at 11 a.m. in an elimination game at Workman Family Baseball Field against host Millikin University.
Jayden Scott tallied the games' first base knock in the top of the first, advancing
Andrew Robinson over to third, but the Knights' threat was cut short as Kostura provided a strikeout and ground out to end the frame. Greco worked around a one-out, hit-by-pitch in the first inning to keep it scoreless after one.
Baldwin Wallce (32-10 overall) marked its first hit off Greco in the bottom of the third, a two-out single, who was later picked off to end the frame.
The Yellow Jackets began the home half of the fifth with a double to left center, later followed by the games' first run of the ballgame on a fielder's choice.
Cael Funk replaced Greco on the hill with just one out. Colin West of Baldwin Wallace put another run on the scoreboard with a bases loaded walk to see Wartburg trail 2-0 through five.
The Yellow Jackets brought home another run in the sixth, as
Logan Sullivan made his seventh appearance of the season with two outs, providing the third out and keeping it at a 3-0 deficit.
In the seventh, three runs scored for Baldwin Wallce to make it 6-0 after one Wartburg miscue in the infield.
Keegan Schmitt led off the top half of the eighth with a single up the middle, as
Liam Bender followed with a double down the left field line. From the leadoff spot,
Griffin Troha put the Knights' first run up on the board with another single to score Schmitt, as Robinson made it just a four-run game after grounding into a double play to plate Bender, 6-2.
Baldwin Wallace answered right back with three runs of its own in the home half to extend its lead out to 9-2.
Andrew Gallegos extended his hitting streak out to 12 consecutive games with a single to begin the ninth, as
Charlie Krueger immediately followed with another base hit. Schmitt notched his team-leading second hit of the game to bring around Gallegos, but the Yellow Jackets held on to the 9-3 win to see the Knights battle for their season an elimination game tomorrow, May 16.
NOTES
Schmitt led the offense with two hits…Bender tallied the Knights' lone extra base hit in the eighth…Wartburg left seven runners on the basepaths…Each team had two errors…
Cael Funk pitched 1.1 innings in relief, allowing one hit, one run and one walk…Sullivan tossed the final 2.1 innings, allowing six runs on four hits, but picking up the Knights' only two strikeouts…Wartburg is now 3-12 in NCAA Tournament openers.
Postgame Press Conference vs Baldwin Wallace: Head coach Casey Klunder, joined by Owen Greco, Griffin Troha and Keegan Schmitt:
