Luther Sweeps Cornell - Secures Slot in IIAC Tournament
May 3, 2008
Luther secured a slot in the six-team Iowa Conference baseball tournament next week after sweeping Cornell College here in Decorah this afternoon. The Norse posted victories of 2-1 and 5-3 taking a 2-0 advantage in this three-game series. The two teams will wrap up the series tomorrow with a nine inning game that will begin at 2:00 p.m.
In game one, Jake Waddle scored on a wild pitch in the third and Alex Thomas drove in a run in the fourth. Jeff Hiatt tallied two of Luther's six hits in this ball game going 2-for-3 at the plate. Adam Kohls increased his record to 5-1 with a complete game effort. Kohls struck out 10 of the 24 batters he faced and allowed just three runs.
The Norse jumped out to a 5-1 lead after three in the nigthcap, but the Rams made it interesting scoring two in the top half of the seventh. Hiatt, who had a second consecutive multiple hit game, drove in a run in the first with a double to right field. Alex Ross drove in two runs in the second thanks to a triple to the same portion of the ball park. Ben Schott and Steve Beckman both drove in a run in the third.
Joe Nelson went the distance on the mound allowing three runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out nine.
The two wins increased Luther's Iowa Conference record to 11-9 and pushed its overall record above .500 for the first time since April 1, to 17-15.
This afternoon was also reunion day for members of Luther's Iowa Conference championship teams of 1983, 1984 and 1985.
Jay Kamin '85 and Kent Stock '85 threw out the ceremonial first pitch simultaneously. Kamin is considered to be one of the best pitchers in Luther history and was inducted in the Luther Hall of Fame in 1995. He was a three-time all-conference selection and named league MVP in 1984 and 1985.
Stock played for the Norse for one season after transferring from Waldorf College. Fifteen years ago he led was the head coach of the Norway High School Tigers and led them to their 20th and last Iowa state baseball championship, before its merger with the Benton Community School District. This outstanding accomplishment was made into a Hollywood feature film “The Final Season.”
