April 28, 2023 – Game one of the penultimate American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) series of the season went in favor of the Loras College baseball team on Friday night as the Duhawks stormed past Luther College in a 12-2 (F/7) rout.
The Duhawks (23-12, 13-6 A-R-C) exploded for a 12-run output on Friday to run away with the first game against the Norse (20-14, 13-6 A-R-C). Entering this weekend, Luther sat second in the A-R-C standings while the Duhawks were just one game back in third place.
Despite Luther starting the scoring in the top of the second inning after back-to-back hits, the Duhawks responded immediately in the next half-inning with a three spot that was highlighted by RBIs from senior
Mitch Gruber and sophomore
Max McCallum. A Luther throwing error on a would-be sac bunt from senior
Ryan Wohlers helped get the big inning started for the Duhawks.
That three-run inning opened the floodgates for the Loras offense as it added two more runs in the third inning on a sac fly from Wohlers and an RBI double for Gruber. Things were still just getting started as the Duhawks hung a six on the board in the bottom of the fourth to take an 11-1 lead.
In the fourth, Loras sent 10 batters to the plate and tallied six runs while benefitting from yet another Luther error. Junior
Daniel Rogers began the scoring with a one-out homer down the left field line, and it also started a string of six straight Loras hits that was bookended by a two-RBI triple from Wohlers.
Luther added a solo home run in the fifth inning, and the game went scoreless for the next four half-innings before Rogers ended the game with his walk-off RBI double off the left field fence in the bottom of the seventh.
Senior starter
Davis Pasco earned his fourth win of the year as he allowed only three hits and two earned runs in five innings of work. Senior
Matt Jeter tossed the final two innings and was just as good with only one hit allowed while the duo combined for zero walks in the game.
The series concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 29 at Petrakis Park. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12 P.M.
