DUBUQUE, Iowa – Despite facing a 7-2 deficit in the fourth inning, the Loras College Duhawks earned its first American Rivers Conference victory of the season after winning a thrilling rubber match, 12-10, over Wartburg College at Petrakis Park on Wednesday evening.

The Duhawks (12-4 overall, 1-0 A-R-C) face three separate deficits throughout the near four hour slugfest.

Senior Daniel Rogers had a marvelous day at the plate, nearly hitting for the cycle after going 4-for-5 with two singles, a double, and a home run. Overall, the Grayslake, Ill. native batted in four runs and crossed home four times himself. Meanwhile, sophomore Cody Sunny had four hits and three RBIs.

The Knights (9-6, 0-3) got on the board first at the top of the first inning, but the Purple and Gold were able to tie it up at bottom half of the inning when Jack Carney's groundout to first allowed Max McCallum to score from third.

Wartburg struck back with three runs in the third to regain its lead, but Loras cut it to a 4-2 game with Rogers' home run. The Knights, however, had an answer, scoring three runs at the top of the fourth to make it 7-2.

The Duhawks came right back with a four-run inning at the bottom of the fourth, all of which was started by an RBI single to center field by Carney, scoring Alex Sandoval, which prompted Wartburg to sub in a new pitcher. Nick DiBenedetto didn't take long to introduce himself to the new man on the mound, as the senior outfielder hit a two-RBI single that scored Carney and McCallum to make it a two-run game. Sunny closed out the inning with an RBI single of his own, scoring Rogers to make it 7-6.

The Knights added on a run at the top of the fifth off a sac fly to left, but the Duhawks would storm right back at the bottom of the inning with three runs to retake the lead. With two men on and facing two outs, Rogers smacked a two RBI double that scored Carney and Sandoval to knot things up at eight-all. An RBI single to right field by Sunny pushed the Duhawks ahead, 9-8, at the end of the fifth.

After a scoreless sixth, the Knights regained the lead at the top of the seventh with a two-run home run, making it 10-9. The Duhawks had one more run in them, as Rogers singled to center, scoring Carney to even things back up at 10-10. Two batters later, Sunny singled to score Rogers before Vince Polizzi flew out to right field, scoring DiBenedetto on a sac fly to go up 12-10.

Danny Heimer pitched a clean final two innings, striking out three and allowing only two hits to earn his second save of the season. Freshman pitcher Aidan O'Hara earned his first career win. 

COMING UP
The Purple and Gold return to action tomorrow to face the No. 14 Warhawks of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Action from Petrakis Park is set to get underway at 2 p.m.