Luther (Iowa) 3, St. Scholastica (Minn.) 2
La Crosse, Wis. – Luther College (Iowa) avoided elimination Friday at the NCAA Division III Baseball Midwest Regional at Copeland Park with a 3-2 comeback victory over The College of St. Scholastica (Minn.). The Norse improve to 34-13 on the season and will face Saint John's University (Minn.) at 7:45 p.m. Friday in an elimination game. St. Scholastica (Minn.) ends its season with a record of 32-11.
St. Scholastica (Minn.) got on the board in the top of the first. Al Marolt reached on an infield single with one out and Brian Minks hit a home run to left field to give the Saints to the 2-0 lead.
The Norse broke through in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out rally. Mitch Knippenberg doubled down the left field line, followed by back-to-back walks to Joe Silversmith and Bryce Hingst to load the bases. Cody Reimer then singled to left, driving in Knippenberg and Silversmith to tie the game at 2-2.
Luther (Iowa) took the lead in the eighth. Silversmith singled up the middle with two outs and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hingst drew his second consecutive walk, and Reimer was hit-by-pitch to load the bases. With Max Uetz at the plate as a pinch hitter, St. Scholastica (Minn.) catcher Jake Kuschke threw down to first to try to pick off Reimer. The throw got away from Saints first baseman Chris Olson, allowing Silversmith to score from third for the Norse to give them the 3-2 lead going to the ninth.
Reimer, who had the two-RBI single that tied the game in the sixth, came on to pitch for Luther (Iowa) in the ninth, retiring the Saints in order to secure the 3-2 win.
Teddy Klingsporn (5-2) picked up the win for Luther (Iowa), pitching 8.0 innings. He gave up two runs on nine hits, striking out four and walking three. Reimer recorded his first save of the season.
Alex Weber went 3-for-4 for the Norse, while Reimer was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Daniel Wood (4-2) took the loss for St. Scholastica (Minn.), giving up two runs on six hits over 6.0 innings. He struck out two and walked five.
Minks drove in both St. Scholastica (Minn.) runs with his home run in the first. Trevor Bernsdorf went 3-for-4 while Olson added two hits for the Saints.
