The Luther College baseball team needed one win to clinch at least a share of the American Rivers Conference championship and accomplished that task this afternoon in the valley. The Norse defeated the Simpson College Storm 8-5 and improved to 27-9 overall, 17-5 in the A-R-C. The league IIAC/A-R-C title is the first for the Norse since 2009 and 14th in school history. 

Falling behind 3-0 after one, the Norse hit three home runs that propelled them to the final outcome. Zach Gwost hit a three-run home run in the four-run third, Gavin Scurr hit a solo shot in the fifth, and Noah Kindem hit a two-run home run in the seventh. Kindem's dinger was his 12th of the year, a new single season school record. He broke the old mark of 11 set by Mark Prince in 2025. 

Josh Straton (7-0) pitched six full innings and left the game with the score tied 5-5. Straton faced 29 batters, allowed five runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out one. Sam Amundson was credited with the win, getting the Norse out of a two-out jam in the top of the seventh with a Storm runner on third. He struck out the only batter he faced. 

CJ Boudreaux took over in the eighth and secured the save, his eighth of the year, a new single season school record. The save also gave him 11 career saves which is also a new school record. 

Box Score

These two teams will meet again tomorrow for a double header that will begin at Noon. The Norse need one win to claim the conference championship outright.