Box Score
Box score
BELOIT, Wis. - Wisconsin Lutheran College held
off a ninth-inning rally from the Beloit College Buccaneers to earn
an 8-7 victory, its first of the season, on Tuesday in the first
game of a non-conference doubleheader at The Ballpark at Strong
Stadium.
The Warriors jumped on top of the Bucs right away in the first
inning on back-to-back doubles from juniors Justin Barkhurst
(Crete, Ill./Illinois Lutheran) and Matt Lang (East Troy, Wis./East
Troy) that scored senior Kyle Edlhuber (Mukwonago, Wis./Luther
Preparatory) and Barkhurst, respectively. WLC extended to a 3-0
lead in the second when freshman Sam Braaten (Appleton, Wis./East)
and senior Ryan Pollesch (Markesan, Wis./Markesan) belted
consecutive doubles.
Following a scoreless third frame from both teams, Beloit scored
its first run on a Matt Bartz RBI single in the bottom of the
fourth. The next inning, Barkhurst drove in his second run of the
game on a single that plated Edlhuber for a 4-1 advantage. The Bucs
tied the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning on a three-run
home run from Mike Ross.
The score didn't stay tied for long as the Warriors score two in
the sixth off of RBI doubles from senior Jake Thorsteins (Round
Lake Beach, Ill./Shoreland Lutheran) and Braaten. BC closed within
a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Ross.
After a leadoff single from junior Josh Ferrell (Cocoa,
Fla./Temple Christian) in the eighth, freshman Tyler Schoen
(Marion, Wis./Marion) followed two batters later with a pinch-hit
two-run home run to give WLC an 8-5 lead which stood until the
bottom of the ninth.
The Bucs pushed two across in the ninth, an RBI single by Ross
and an error, but Thorsteins, who came on in relief of junior
starter Austin Backhaus (Campbellsport, Wis./Campbellsport) in the
eighth, left the possible tying run stranded at second.
Ferrell went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for the Warriors, who
finished with 13 hits in the contest. Barkhurst and Schoen drove in
two runs, while Lang and Braaten also added two hits each.
Backhaus improved to 1-1 on the season after throwing 7.0
innings. The southpaw allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits
while fanning a pair. Thorsteins tossed the final 2.0 innings to
earn the save.
Ross finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs and one run scored for
Beloit (5-4), while Jordan Jaenicke led the team with three hits.
Alex Norman was handed the loss on the mound, striking out four in
five innings of work.
Wisconsin Lutheran (1-6) looks to sweep the twinbill from Beloit
when the two teams battle again at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at The
Ballpark at Strong Stadium.
