Luther Swept by Wartburg in Final Two Games of IIAC Tournament
May 9, 2007
Needing one win to secure the Iowa Conference automatic bid to the NCAA III National Tournament, Luther was swept by Wartburg College today at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids. The Knights scored 20 runs on 27 hits during their second and third games of the day, defeating the Norse 8-4 and 12-7. Earlier in the afternoon, Wartburg defeated Coe 15-2 in seven innings, allowing the Knights the opportunity to play the Norse for the conference tournament title.
In game one, Wartburg was trailing 2-1 entering the top half of the seventh, when it exploded for six runs on six hits off Norse starter Nate Todd (6-4). Luther produced eight hits off Knights starter and last year's league MVP Jerrold Martijn (10-1). Nate Neis, Steve Beckman and Joe Thompson each had two.
Luther went through five pitchers in the championship game in an attempt to stop the Knights hot bats which produced 16 hits. The seventh inning proved to be the difference as the Knights scored seven runs on seven hits.
Neis and Ben Schott tallied four of Luther's eight hits. Neis was 2-for-5 with two rbi, while Schott was 2-for-4 and also drove in two runs.
Luther, the IIAC co-champions, finishes the regular season with a record of 29-13 and will now have to wait and see if it will receive a bid to play in the NCAA III National Tournament for the second time in the past three years. The Division III Tournament field will be announced sometime Sunday, May 10 in the afternoon.
