Wartburg College Athletics

WAVERLY, Iowa --- No. 23 softball closed the 2026 regular season with a sweep over Augustana College at Lynes Field as the Knights took game one 6-1 and followed it with a 4-3 win on Monday, May 4.
 
The Knights are now 31-9 overall, which is the first time surpassing the 30-win mark since 2022 for the Knights.
 
Following tonight's regular season finale, the Knights will host the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) tournament on Friday and Saturday, May 8-9. Wartburg has earned a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 4 Loras and No. 5 Central on Saturday, May 9 at 11 a.m.
 
Game Summary

• Game One (Wartburg 6, Augustana 1)
  • First Inning
    • Wartburg was able to strike first on the scoreboard after Reagan Hassel walked and then stole both second and third base to set up Addy Wells for a sacrifice flyout to right field that scored Hassel
  • Fourth Inning
    • Hannah Hoefer and the Wartburg defense worked around base runners in the second and third innings, but allowed no runs to come across as the Knights held a 1-0 lead
    • Wartburg added another run in the bottom of the fourth when Bella Mulder doubled off the centerfield wall to set up an RBI single from Liz Kruckenberg that put the Knights in front 2-0 headed to the fifth inning
  • Sixth Inning
    • Augustana was able to bring its first run of the day across in the sixth after three straight two out hits brought one run across to cut Wartburg's lead to 2-1
    • The Knights answered in the bottom half with four runs from three hits and two walks that broke the lead open to 6-1
      • Both Mulder and Amanda Strzyzewski walked to begin the sixth for Wartburg (Maddie Buskohl pinch ran for Mulder) before a Liz Kruckenberg moved both runners to scoring position
      • Following an out at home, Rylie Metz stepped to the plate and delivered a two RBI double down the left field line to score both Kruckenberg and Strzyzewski
      • Carley Bredar knocked in another run with a sacrifice lineout to right field that scored Sophie Stanic
      • An RBI single from Hassel capped off the scoring in the sixth as she brought home Ally Happ from second base to make the score 6-1
  • Seventh Inning
    • Hoefer closed out her fifth complete game of the season to secure a 6-1 win for the Knights
• Game Two (Wartburg 5, Augustana 4)
  • Second Inning
    • After a quiet first inning, Augustana used a timely two-out single to bring two runners across to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second
    • Wartburg wasted no time responding in the bottom half as the Knights scored four runs to take a 4-2 lead, highlighted by a three-run homer by Alexis Larson
      • Both Mulder and Stephanie Kiefer reached base to set up and RBI single from Strzyzewski to cut the Augustana lead to 2-1
      • With two outs, Larson stepped to the plate and smacked a three-run home run over the right field wall to put Wartburg in front 4-2
  • Fourth Inning
    • Back-to-back hits from the Vikings allowed another run to come across as a double and a single made the score 4-3
  • Sixth Inning
    • Katelyn Klever retired the side in order in the top of the sixth
    • Wells drew a walk to give the Knights a base runner in the sixth and she was brought home after a Jenna Wiebenga sacrifice bunt and an RBI single from Mulder to make the score 5-3
  • Seventh Inning
    • Augustana used one hit and one error to cut Wartburg's lead down to one run in the seventh inning, but Klever and the Wartburg defense got three-straight outs following a two hit start to the inning for Augustana
      • The Knights held off the Vikings to win 4-3

 
Top Performers

• Game One
  • Rylie Metz
    • 1/2 at the plate
      • Two RBI
      • Double
  • Liz Kruckenberg
    • 2/3 at the plate
    • RBI
    •  Run scored
    • Stolen base
  • Hannah Hoefer
    • Win
    • 7.0 IP
    • Two strikeouts
    • One walk
    • One earned run allowed
  • Bella Mulder
    • 1/1 at the plate
    • Double
    • Two walks
• Game Two
  • Alexis Larson
    • 1/2 at the plate
    • Three RBI
    • HR
  • Bella Mulder
    • 2/3 at the plate
    • RBI
    • Run scored
  • Amanda Strzyzewski
    • 1/2 at the plate
    • RBI
    • Run scored
    • Stolen base

 
Notes/Streaks

• New single season record for stolen bases as a team (165)
  • Previous record was 162
  • 15 different Knights have recorded a stolen base this season
• First 30-win season since 2022
  • 10^th time in program history reaching 30 wins
• Larson hit her third home run of the season
  • Fifth of her career
• Wartburg closes the regular season with a 11-2 record at home
  • Will host A-R-C tournament
• Hoefer moves to 13-3 overall and Klever moves to 12-4 in pitching decisions
• Stolen base career leader update:
  • Hassel now has 68 career stolen bases (fifth all time, trails fourth by 25)
  • 56 for Happ (seventh all time, trails sixth by one)
  • 52 career stolen bases for Bredar (eighth all time)
• Sixth start of the season for Lauren Dyer
• Seven different Knights had an RBI today
• Wartburg stranded 16 Viking runners between both games today
• Mulder now has a team-leading 13 doubles this season
• Hassel's 56 hits this season is currently tied for the ninth most in a single-season in program history
• Sixth time this season with four or more batters struck out for Klever this season

 
Next Time Out
Wartburg has earned a first-round bye for the A-R-C Tournament and will face the winner of No. 4 Loras and No. 5 Central on Saturday, May 9 at 11 a.m.