Spartans Split with #25-ranked Knights
Apr 17, 2016
DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque baseball team split against #25-ranked Wartburg on Sunday afternoon in near ideal conditions in April after just a week earlier battling snow showers. The Spartans scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and won game three in the bottom of the seventh inning after loading the bases with no outs by a 4-3 score. In game four of the series, the Knights jumped out to an early lead before the Spartans sliced the lead to 2-4 after six innings. UD was held scoreless in the final three innings in the 5-2 loss.
The Spartans captured game three by scoring four runs on nine hits while committing no errors. Wartburg scored three runs on eight hits, but committed two errors. The Spartans won the game after leadoff batter Dalton Garst doubled to left field and advanced to third on a fielding error by left field. Austin McWhite was intentionally walked. McWhite stole second base. Jeremy Morski was being intentionally walked until a pitch was called a strike and he would earn a walk to load the bases. Will Doherty, batting fifth in the line-up singled up the middle, scoring Garst for the game winning RBI. It was just the second loss in conference action for the Knights.
Garst led the offense by ending the game 3-4 at the plate and scoring two of the Spartans runs. Doherty finished with team high two RBI's. Pitcher Reed Stumpf captured the complete game victory to improve to 5-2 this season. He faced 31 batters, walked just two, forced the Knights into nine fly outs, and 10 ground outs.
In game four of the series, the Spartans were held to a run in the fourth and sixth innings. Jared Clevenger and McWhite would both collect two hits in the loss. Doherty was the lone RBI, as UD was held to two runs on six hits while committing two errors.
Doug Van Dyke threw seven innings, struck out five and walked one batter before being relieved by Derek Erwin for the final two innings. He would face nine batters, struck out one, walked one and allowed no runs as the Spartan rally caps fell short in the series.
The Spartans continue the Loras series by playing the doubleheader at Petrakis Park on Tuesday, April 19 beginning at 3:30 p.m.
