DECORAH, Iowa  – It was exactly the situation every softball team wants at the end of the regular season. In the final American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) doubleheader of the 2023 season, a conference title was on the line for the Luther College softball team. With a sweep of Wartburg College Saturday afternoon, the Norse would claim its first A-R-C Regular Season title since 2017, the perfect way to honor their six seniors. A sweep was not on the cards for Luther. After winning the first game 7-3, the Knights spoiled the Norse hopes and dreams, using a late rally to beat Luther 6-3 in game two. With the split, the Norse close the regular season with a 31-7 record and secure the No. 2 seed in the A-R-C Tournament next week with a 12-4 record in conference play. 

GAME ONE: (RV)  LUTHER (7) vs. WARTBURG (3)
Early on, it looked like it would be a pitcher's duel between Luther and Wartburg, as the teams' respective aces tallied perfect innings in the top of the first. Eventually, though, the Norse broke through in a big way, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the second for a 7-0 lead. A lead off single from Leah Crown (Plato, Minn. / Central) jumpstarted Luther's rally, as she and Sydney Schultz (Raymond, Iowa / Columbus Catholic) would score on a double by Raven Allen (Birmingham, Ala. / McAdory) to make it 2-0 Norse early in the game. 

The second inning spoils kept on giving, as Luther continued to hit and score in the bottom of the inning. A pair of RBI hits from Chloe Wagner (Blair, Wis. / Blair-Taylor) and Belle Berg (Chatfield, Minn. / Chatfield) extended the lead to 4-0 before a three-run homer from Anna Forari (Bettendorf, Iowa / Bettendorf) gave the Norse the 7-0 advantage. 

Up 7-0 after two, it looked like Luther would cruise to an early victory, but the Knights made things interesting in the top of the fourth, scoring a run to cut the lead to 7-1. Wartburg would score two more runs in the top of the sixth, whittling the Luther lead even further to 7-3. 

In the end, it was no harm, no foul for the Norse, as Kendra Cooper (Lansing, Iowa / Kee) was impeccable in the top of the seventh inning. The fifth year senior sent the Knights down in order, tallying two of her nine strikeouts in the inning to secure a 7-3 victory for Luther. 

GAME TWO:  (RV) LUTHER (3) vs. WARTBURG (6)
The second game did not get off to the best start for the Norse, as Wartburg wasted no time taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Leadoff batter Reegan Deputy blasted a lead off home run to center field for the first hit and first run of the ball game. Luther responded in kind in the bottom of the inning, as Forari dipped under the glove of the Knights starting catcher to tie the game at 1-1. 

Thus began a game of "anything you can do I can do better". Wartburg went ahead and scored two runs in the top of the second, but Luther responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. It was once again Berg who delivered the RBI hit, blasting a double to left center to make it 2-2 after two. Unfortunately, neither team would score the ensuing three innings, despite several golden opportunities. Luther put runners on in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but the team could never bring those runners home, leaving the door open for the Knights. 

Wartburg, unfortunately, took advantage, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-3 lead over the Norse. Again, the Norse had a chance to respond in the bottom of the sixth, as Ken Vavrichek (Bloomington, Minn. / The Blake School) opened the inning with a single to the pitcher, giving Luther a base runner with zero outs on the board. After Katie Brennan (Lansing, Iowa / Kee) lined out to second base, the Norse were feeling confident as Berg stepped to the plate. Mere inches away from a home run in her last at bat, Berg hit the ball hard and up the middle, where it was snagged by Wartburg's infield. However, the shortstop seemingly missed the bag on the out, leaving Vavrichek on second and Berg out at first for our number two. 

Despite the off kilter throw, Vavrichek was called out on the play, resulting in an inning and rally ending double play. Still, Luther had plenty of life in its line up in the bottom of the seventh. After Cooper sent the Knights down in order, Forari opened the bottom of the inning with a lead off walk, guaranteeing an at bat for Spore and Crown. Spore got choked up on an inside pitch and flew out to short before a strikeout by Crown left the Norse to their final out. 

Riley Sauser (Ely, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) kept Luther's rally alive, legging out an infield single to put runners on first and second and Schultz at the plate. With a 2-1 count, the senior hit a hard line drive to center field. Unfortunately, it flew right into the glove of Wartburg's center fielder, ending the Norse rally and the game 6-3 in favor of the Knights. 

TOP NORSE

• Leah Crown (Plato, Minn. / Central) was 2-3 at the plate in game one with a run, while Belle Berg (Chatfield, Minn. / Chatfield) was 2-4 with a run and RBI. Additionally, Anna Forari (Bettendorf, Iowa / Bettendorf) and Raven Allen (Birmingham, Ala. / McAdory) both tallied multiple RBIs in game one, as they were both 1-3 at the plate with three and two RBIs respectively. 
• Kendra Cooper (Lansing, Iowa / Kee) earned her 20th win of the season in game one in what was her 18th complete game of 2023. The fifth year senior surrendered three runs, two earned, on just four hits in the opener while striking out nine. Thanks to her three strikeouts in game two, Cooper's career strikeout total now stands at 498, two away from the 500 milestone. 
• Riley Sauser (Ely, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) was 3-4 at the plate in game two, while Abby Spore (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Kennedy) and Ken Vavrichek (Bloomington, Minn. / The Blake School) both tallied two hits on the day. 

UP NEXT
With the split, Luther secured the No. 2 seed and first round bye in the A-R-C Championships, which will take place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa May 12-13. The Norse will face the winner of No. 3 Central and No. 6 Nebraska-Wesleyan in Saturday's Semifinal. More information regarding Luther's first round opponent and the A-R-C Tournament in general will be released on www.luthernorse.com in the upcoming days.