WAVERLY, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras baseball team dropped the first two games of the weekend series against No. 19 Wartburg on Friday. Freshman
Austin Konagel went a combined 9-for-9 from the plate with one triple on the day.
LORAS HIGHLIGHTS
- Wartburg broke the scoreless tie in the second inning, scoring on a RBI double to take an early 1–0 lead.
- Zeros were put up on both sides in the third and fourth innings before Loras put together a three-hit fifth inning, scoring two runs.
- Konagel opened the fifth with a triple to left center to start the rally. He came across to score in the very next at-bat on a single to left field by junior Thomas Johnson.
- After a sacrifice bunt from junior Tony Heiser, sophomore Ryan Koester delivered on a RBI single to right center to score Johnson from second.
- The Knights answered in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs to retake the lead at 3–2.
- Konagel's fourth hit of the game opened the door for Loras to equalize as the freshman scored on an error by the shortstop, tying the game at 3-all.
- Wartburg led off the home half of the fourth with a double to left field. On a ground ball to short, Loras was unable to turn the double play, allowing the winning run to score from third.
- Senior Alex Steines suffered his fourth loss of the season, going 6 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and four runs, three earned. He struck out four while walking three.
- In game two, the Duhawks jumped on Wartburg right from the get-go, scoring three runs in the top of the first on Koester's eighth home run of the season.
- The Knights once again answered right away, scoring three of their own in the home half.
- Loras' offense went quiet for the next six innings while Wartburg tacked on six runs to take a 9–3 lead into the eighth inning.
- A four-hit, three run inning from the Duhawks brought the game back within reach at 9–6. Back-to-back-to-back hits from Loras drove in all three runs, courtesy of singles from freshman Danny Paluch and senior Adrian Nunez, sandwiched by a triple from senior Lucas Jacque.
- Wartburg responded to the Loras rally with three runs of their own in the home half of the eighth, opening a five-run gap.
- Konagel's fifth hit of the game in game two started the ninth, but that was all the offense the Duhawks could muster, falling 11–6 in game two.
- Sophomore Brad Schwind struck out one over 5 2/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs and three walks, suffering his seventh loss of the season.
- With his five-hit performance in game two, Konagel writes his name into the Loras record book, tying the mark for most hits in a single game (5).
FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Thomas Johnson | The junior went 2-for-2 in game one, including a pair of sacrifice hits, driving in one run. Johnson's average now sits at a very respectable .350 on the year and now has driven in 15 runs.
Austin Konagel | After going 4-for-4 in game one, the freshman continued his elite campaign with a perfect 5-for-5 from game two. The Frankfort, Ill. native now leads the Duhawks with a .434 average and has a .526 slugging percentage.
UP NEXT
The series will resume on Sunday afternoon from Waverly, due to the anticipation of inclement weather on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
