Box Score WAVERLY, Iowa – On a beautiful evening for baseball the Luther Norse improved to 11-0 in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play for the first time in program history with the 11-4 win over Wartburg. The new record eclipses the record set by the 1966 baseball team who finished 10-0 in Iowa Conference action. Luther is now 18-8 on the season.
 
LEAD OFF RUNS
Cullen Stamp led off the game with a double into left center field. He would be followed up by Noah Sebben (Moline, Ill. / Moline) who laid down an RBI single to bring in the first Norse run. The Knights tried to pick of Sebben but that lead to an error by the pitcher to move Sebben to third. Charlie Rubendall (Minneapolis, Minn. / DeLaSalle) kept the hitting going with the second Luther double of the game earning him and RBI. The bats stayed hot with Aiden Michna (Moline, Ill. / Moline) blasting one deep into center field for a two-run home run to clear the bases for a quick 4-0 Norse lead.
 
Michna hit a double to lead off the third and a Joshua Matanich (Lake City, Minn. / Lincoln) single put runners on the corners. Then back-to-back walks issued by Wartburg filled the bases and gave Luther another run to their total. Peyton Lindmark (Bettendorf, Iowa / Pleasant Valley) earned the RBI. The Knights switched pitchers but the Norse earned another run via walk. Then Jack Welch (LaCrescent, Minn. / LaCrescent) used a single through the left side for two RBIs as Lindmark and Gabe Atkins turned for home. Wartburg finally got out the inning without any further damage as Luther added another four runs.
 
In the bottom half the third, the Luther defense turned another double play for their second of the game. But with a Knight on third and a single up the middle gave the home team their first run of the game. But Luther ended the threat quickly via Ryan Manternach (Monticello, Iowa / Monticello) and the defensive effort.
 
Wartburg got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth but Lindmark answered with a solo shot over the center field wall which would be his first homerun of the season. Another lone run came across for the Knights as they slowly began to chip away but solid defense and pitching have kept the Norse out in front.
 
Later in the eighth Luther added some insurance runs. With one out Welch and Stamp both hit singles to get on base. Then Rubendall hit a double deep into left field that hit off the wall but two runners came across building to an 11-4 advantage for the Norse.
 
Kaleb Thiesse (Kasson, Minn. / Kasson-Mantorville) came in to close down Wartburg in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded and just one out the Norse were in a jam. Thiesse then got one strikeout for the second out of the inning before the next batter hit a double causing two runs to score for the Knights. However, Thiesse got the final Wartburg batter down on strikes for the 11-6 victory. Ryan Manternach (Monticello, Iowa / Monticello) picked up his fourth win on the mound for the Norse for a 4-2 record on the season. Luther improves 18-8 overall and 11-0 in A-R-C for the first time in program history.
 
TOP NORSE

• Aiden Michna (Moline, Ill. / Moline) had two hits with a double and a two-run homerun, two runs, two RBIs.
• Peyton Lindmark (Bettendorf, Iowa / Pleasant Valley) scored two runs off one hit and earned two RBIs. His only hit of the evening a solo homerun for his first of the season.
• CJ Boudreaux (Humble, Texas / Atascocita) took down five batters via strikeouts and only gave up one hit in two innings of work with seven batters faced. 

UP NEXT
The Norse head to Dubuque, Iowa for the first game of the three-game series against Dubuque on Friday, April 14^th with first pitch at 3:00 p.m. CT.
 
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