The Knghts baseball team won their second straight IIAC Tournament as they topped Luther College 12-7, on Saturday.
A seven-run seventh inning for the Knights would prove to be the difference in the ultimate championship game.
Kyle Jones got things started for the Knights when he hit a double, scoring Mike Johnson and Patrick Grau. Jones, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, would score just a minute later after a wild throw to third base and give the Knights an 8-4 lead.
The Knights weren’t done in the seventh as a Danny Rose double brought in another two runs.
Johnson and Grau would come up again and knock in another couple of runs, making it 12-4 at that point. Knights head coach Joel Holst said it was the difference in the game.
“It was exciting and everybody fed off each other and that’s pretty much what happened the whole day,” Holst said.
The Norse would tack on three more runs, but it wouldn’t be enough.
Johnson went 4-for-6 with two RBI. Billy Schmitt picked up the win in relief, pitching five innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and striking out four.
The Knights defeated Luther to force an ultimate championship game, 8-4. Jerrold Martijn pitched his second complete game in the conference tournament. Martijn gave up four runs on eight hits, while striking out eight.
Martijn also went 2-for-4 at the plate with one run scored.
“[Martijn] was telling us right from the beginning that he was going to come back and pitch championship day,” Holst said. “He stood up and did exactly what he said he was going to do. He said he was going to win two games in the tournament and he did that.”
Earlier on Saturday, the Knights topped Coe College to advance on to face Luther in the championship game.
They defeated the Kohawks 15-2 in seven innings.
Rose went 4-for-5 in the game with four runs scored. Grau went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
The winning pitcher of the game was Jake Kuennen, who went all seven innings for the Knights, giving up two runs on six hits, with four strikeouts.
The Knights scored 35 runs in the three Saturday games. Holst said it was a tremendous offensive output.
“We couldn’t ask for anything more,” Holst said. “It’s just a great day for the Wartburg baseball program.”
The Knights lost their first game of the tournament on Friday evening, to Luther College, 9-2.
A four-run fourth inning for Luther put the Knights away for good in the game.
Ben Roemmich was one of two Knights with multiple hits on Friday, going 2-for-5 with one run scored.
The Knights battled back and forth with Loras College Thursday night and ended winning 10-9. A Grau two RBI single in the eighth inning put the Knights in the lead for good. Grau went 4-for-4 on the night with five RBIs.
Nate Rost picked up the win for the Knights as he pitched three innings in relief.
In the Knights first game of the tournament, they defeated Buena Vista 12-4.
On his first game back following an injury, Martijn pitched a complete game for the Knights. He struck out 12 batters and gave up four earned runs in the victory on Thursday afternoon.
Mike Johnson led the way for the Knights at the plate by going 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
Holst said it was a tremendous performance on the part of the team to play six games in three days.
“We played three nine inning ballgames (Saturday),” Holst said. “For them to do that is pretty amazing.”