ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Luther baseball team rallied in both games of the double header vying to make a comeback. Both attempts would come up short with a 9-5 and a 7-3 loss to close out the three-game series with WashU. The Norse now fall 4-6 on the season and look to rebound. 
 
GAME 1: Luther (5), WashU (9)
The Norse picked up where they left off the other day by jumping on the Bears early. Cullen Stamp (Plymouth, Minn. / Wayzata) got on with a single and quickly stole his way to second. With Gabe Atkins (Castle Pines, Colo. / Rock Canyon) on via the walk and two back-to-back errors by the WashU pitcher, Stamp scampered his way home for the opening run. 
 
However, the Luther lead would not last long as the Bears offense brought in eight runs off four hits to take the 8-1 lead in the bottom of the second. The Norse had some work to do if they were going to come back in this one. 
 
The scoring resumed in the bottom of the fifth with WashU tacking on an insurance run for an eight-run lead. Then in the top of the sixth the Norse, Charlie Rubendall (Minneapolis, Minn. / DeLaSalle) launched it deep into left field for an RBI double to bring Linmark home. Even the lone run helped Luther chip away at the WashU lead. 
 
With two outs and Atkins on first Noah Sebben (Moline, Ill. / Moline) hit it deep into left center field and took off for the RBI triple. The big hit gave the Norse life but they were still down by six runs. 
 
Luther wasn't going to give up and in the top of the eighth as Rubendall hit a single to left field earning him his second RBI of the day for a 9-4 game. Pitchers Charles Running (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) and CJ Bourdreaux (Humble, Texas / Atascocita) helped limit any more damage by the Bears. Luther had outscored WashU 3 to 1 since the second inning. Bourdreaux closed the inning with WashU going 1-2-3. 
 
Once again, the Norse were down to their last at-bat. Stamp was already on third via a wild pitch and now in scoring position. Sebben grounded out to the shortstop and Stamp used his speed to cross home plate to make it a four-run game. But that was all the Norse could muster, dropping the second game of the series 9-5. 
 
GAME 2 Luther (3), WashU (7)
If anything, the Norse stayed consistent throughout the series getting runs in their first at bat. With one out Rubendall tripled to right field and now in scoring position. Atkins up at the plate hit a grounder to the shortstop giving Rubendall the chance to run in for the score. 
 
WashU answered as they did all series with two runs in the bottom of the second to take over the lead. The Bears added a third run to their total in the third. But Luther was still well within striking distance. 
 
Top of the fifth, leadoff batter Peyton Lindmark (Bettendorf, Iowa / Pleasant Valley) drove a single into left field and got the sign to steal second. Then would advance to third on an error by the pitcher. Barrett Lindmark (Bettendorf, Iowa / Pleasant Valley) played it smart by putting a grounder down to get an RBI. Which would bring the game within one with a 3-2 score with the Bears still leading. 
 
The WashU bats hardly went cold throughout the series as they responded once again with another two runs in the bottom of the sixth and in the eighth. Giving the Bears a 7-2 lead. 
 
One last chance for the Norse with runners on the corners Noah Pinette (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) hit an RBI single into center field. But that's all Luther would get back falling 7-3 to close out the series. 
 
TOP NORSE

• Charlie Rubendall (Minneapolis, Minn. / DeLaSalle) had back-to-back RBIs in his at bats and two stolen bases in the first game of the double header. Along with a triple in the second game. 
• Barrett Lindmark (Bettendorf, Iowa / Pleasant Valley) recorded his first career hit and first RBI in a Norse uniform. 

UP NEXT
The Norse will head on their spring break trip to Tucson, Arizona for the Tucson Invitational. Augsburg will be the first opponent they face on Friday, March 17th with first pitch at 1:00 p.m. CT. 
 
For all the latest on Luther Baseball, stay tuned to luthernorse.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.