Baseball Clipped by Wartburg in Pair of Defeats
Apr 11, 2015
WAVERLY, Iowa - The University of Dubuque baseball team suffered a pair of close losses to No. 11 Wartburg after a game one rally fell short, 5-3, and four Knight home runs put away the Spartans in game two, 10-8, in 11 innings.
Game One
Box Score
Spartans fall 5-3
Spartan Rally Comes Up Short
First basemen Dalton Garst led the Spartans with two hits, including an RBI-single in their last chance, seventh-inning rally.
UD entered the top of the seventh, trailing 5-1, and scored two runs thanks to Garst's hit and a Casanova RBI off a fielder's choice. The rally fell short as the Spartans (11-14, 5-8 Iowa Conference) three-game winning streak against the Knights came to a halt.
The up-and-down offense that racked up 15 hits in their last game and 16 hits in today's nightcap mustered only five hits in game one. Defensively, the Spartans committed four miscues in the field that led to one unearned run.
The Knights (22-6, 12-5 Iowa Conference) jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first, aided by a two-run home run and a sac fly. Wartburg concluded their scoring efforts with one run a piece in the third and sixth innings.
Spartan starter Trent Van Egtern (2-3) was tagged with the loss after surrendering five runs (four earned), and five hits while striking out six in 6.0 innings of work.
Casanova, already the UD single-season record holder for stolen bases, swiped his 11th stolen base of the year in the effort.
Game Two
Box Score
Spartans fall 10-8 (11 innings)
Four Wartburg Home Runs Too Much for Spartans
Leftfielder Trace Florek paced the Spartans with a team-high three RBIs off two hits, including the go-ahead RBI-single to right field in the eighth inning that put UD up 8-7.
It would be a short-lived advantage after Wartburg (23-6, 13-5 Iowa Conference) countered with one run on two hits in the bottom of the inning. The Knights retired nine of the next 10 Spartan hitters and delivered the final blow with a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th to win it.
It was the Knights fourth home run of the game and the second two-run shot. The first two-run home run put the Knights up 6-5 after the sixth inning as the Spartans reclaimed the lead thanks to Florek and Co. in the eighth.
The Spartans (11-15, 5-9 Iowa Conference) were clicking on all cylinders after accumulating 16 hits and committing zero errors in the field. A trio of Spartans, C James Workman, CF Daniel Casanova, and RF Matt Hogan, had three hits with Hogan and Casanova bringing home an additional two RBIs a piece.
The problem was that Wartburg's offense came alive in the nightcap as they responded to UD's hit factory with 15 hits of their own. Defensively, the Knights weren't as polished as UD took advantage of three Wartburg errors after plating four unearned runs.
UD reliever Reed Stumpf (1-2) was handed the loss after giving up two runs (both earned) and five hits in 3.0 innings of relief.
The Spartans dropped to 32-80 all-time against the Knights and 2-2 this season after sweeping yesterday's doubleheader.
UD welcomes Luther (11-14, 6-7 Iowa Conference) in a doubleheader next Friday and Saturday (April 17 and 18) at 1:00 p.m.
