LINCOLN, Neb. (April 14, 2023) – Loras College baseball scored double digit runs in both legs of Friday's doubleheader at Nebraska Wesleyan University, guaranteeing the Duhawks a series victory over the Prairie Wolves ahead Saturday's third game.

The Duhawks (18-10, 9-4 A-R-C) have won each of their last six American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) games after taking both from the Prairie Wolves (12-18, 4-12 A-R-C) on Friday.

Loras 11, NWU 5
Things did not come easy for the Duhawks to start Friday's slate as the Duhawks went scoreless through the first five innings against the Prairie Wolves. In that time, the home team plated four runs against Duhawk starter Davis Pasco to take a 4-0 lead.

A solo homer in the sixth inning for senior Ryan Wohlers changed everything for the Duhawks as it got them on the board and apparently woke the bats up. An RBI double for junior Nick DiBenedetto cut the lead down to 4-2 in the seventh inning and set the table for a massive eight-run eighth inning.

Five hits and one NWU error led to the eight-run frame for Loras as 12 Duhawk hitters came to the plate. Sophomore Max McCallum produced the big hit in the frame as his two-out, two-RBI double capped the inning and gave Loras a 10-4 lead.

It wasn't needed, but an RBI single for senior Tyler Pranksy added an insurance run in the ninth to help sophomore Danny Hiemer earn the win. Hiemer pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed just one run and zero walks to become the beneficiary of Loras' miraculous eighth inning.

Loras 10, NWU 6
Loras had to play from behind in the early going on Friday's second game as it was the hosting Prairie Wolves who drew first blood with a three-run second inning. Senior Dakota Church led off the third inning with a solo home run that got the Duhawk bats moving as a sacrifice fly from senior Max Cullen made it 3-2 later in the inning.

A two-run third inning was followed up by a three-run fourth inning for Loras as senior Mitch Gruber delivered a big two-out, two-RBI double in the inning to put the Duhawks ahead 4-3. Gruber scored on the next play when McCallum kept the inning alive by reaching on an error.

Two-out production added one insurance run for the Duhawks in the fifth inning before the Prairie Wolves struck twice in their half of the seventh to make it 6-5 in favor of the Duhawks. That only fueled the Duhawks even more as they plated four runs in the next half-inning as DiBenedetto notched an RBI single and Church added two more RBIs to his line with a two-out double.

Senior Matt Jeter earned the win for the Duhawks as he went 6.0 innings without allowing a walk. He allowed only three runs, all in the second inning, to give his team a chance to get back into the game.

Loras and Nebraska Wesleyan will finish the series with a single game on Saturday, April 15, at 12 P.M.