DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The opening weekend to the conference season finally got underway for Loras baseball on Sunday, but the two-day delay did little to help the offense, who was limited to seven hits over nine innings in a 5-3 loss to Nebraska Wesleyan.
Bill Luzzo proved to be a shining star in the lineup, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and scoring once.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
• In his first home start of his career,
Sam Marhefke mowed down the Prairie Wolves for the first two innings, striking out three before missing his spot on an 0-2 pitch that was sent over the wall in left in the top of the third
• Nebraska Wesleyan tacked on another run in the fourth, thanks to alert baserunning ... On a pickoff attempt from behind the plate, the runner broke for second and later scored on a single
• Loras had a golden opportunity slip through the cracks in the bottom of the sixth after loading the bases with one out ... A line out and a fly out quelled the rally and kept the Duhawks scoreless
• Trailing 4-0, Loras broke into the score column on an RBI double by
Austin Konagel, scoring
Bill Luzzo
• With their backs to the wall, the Duhawks rallied for two runs in the ninth after
Danny Paluch and
Robbie Agerbeek drew back-to-back walks to start the inning ... Paluch would later score on a balk while Agerbeek crossed the plate on an RBI bloop single by
Dylan Pardoe
NOTABLES
• The leadoff hitter reached once in Sunday's loss, which came in the bottom of the ninth
• NWU was 4-for-9 with runners on base against Marhefke
•
Austin Konagel was responsible for the lone base hit with two outs ... As a team, Loras finished 1-for-9 with two outs while the Prairie Wolves were 3-for-11
• Sunday marked the first career start for Luzzo
•
Jake Oglesby moved to within five of the 100 hit mark for his career
• Sunday's loss was the first this season by more than one run ... Loras dropped to 0-5 this season when scoring less than five runs
UP NEXT
Loras returns to Petrakis Park on Monday for games two and three of the series, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
