DUBUQUE, Iowa - Battling the A-R-C leading Luther College Norse on a warm, sunny Friday, the University of Dubuque baseball team would snap the Norse 12 game conference winning streak in the second game of the doubleheader 3-2 for the Norse first conference loss of the season.
Both games would come down to the pitchers on the mound as both games combined for 10 runs total on 25 hits.
Edward Rosas (2-4) pitched well in game one, but got the loss giving up one earned run in the sixth inning.
Aidan Elfering got the start in game two and would pitch a full nine innings giving up one earned run on four hits.
Derek Hardin (2-2) finished out the final four innings to get the win not giving up a run in extras.
In game one, the first three innings would fly by with no hits allowed by either team. It wouldn't be until the fifth inning where the Norse got on the board with two unearned runs to take a 2-0 lead. The Spartans would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth off a
Colin Husko double down the left field line to make the score 2-1. The Norse got the run back in the top of the sixth inning off the only earned run of the game to lead 3-1. The Spartans threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning after
Bo Karlson doubled to right center to score
Cole DeStefanis to cut the Norse lead back to one with two outs. The Spartans were unable to get Karlson home and in the ninth inning had four batters at the plate resulted in only one runner on base as the Spartans fell by a run in the opening game of the series.
Karlson was the lone Spartan to record multiple hits in the game going 2-4 with one RBI.
Game two would be another pitching dual that would result in a 13 inning game. The Norse got a run right away to open the game and would add another in the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead similar to what they did in game one. Inj the bottom of the fifth inning, the Spartans would start the inning with two hit by pitches to put runners on first and second with one out. The next at bat,
Joe Unger would reach on an error by the Norse to score the first Spartans run of game two. Husko would follow it up with a single to shortstop to tie the game at 2-2. From the start of the sixth inning through the 13th inning, both teams would combined for only seven hits, but the seventh hit would be the all important one as
Brandon Watkins with two outs would single through the left side to score DeStefanis to win the game and snap the Norse's 12 game A-R-C streak.
Husko was the lone Spartans with multiple hits going 2-6 with an RBI. Husko's two hits were half of the Spartans hits as they only had four hits.
The Spartans move to 18-8 overall and 8-7 in conference play.
Up Next
The Spartans will play the rubber match with the Norse tomorrow, April 15 at 12:00 p.m.
