DECORAH, Iowa – The Carleton College team dropped both ends of its season-opening double-header at Luther College, falling 14-1 and 5-2 in a pair of 7-inning contests.
Game 1 Recap
The Knights (0-2) began their 2024 season in unusual fashion, with leadoff hitter
Sam Zacks reaching base on a catcher's interference. Zacks stole second and third but was stranded. The Norse (2-0) pushed the first run of the game across in the bottom half of the opening inning, as Mark Prince hit a sacrifice fly to left. Luther then put up a crooked number in the second, scoring seven times to make it 8-0. The home team added one more in the third and five in the fifth to put the game beyond reach.
Luther right-hander Harry Blum, who earned the win, twirled 6.1 no-hit frames until
Zach Gordon reached on an error and
Sam Gossard punched a single through the right side to score Gordon.
Ryan Antrim was tabbed with the loss.
Game 2 Recap
After trading zeroes in the opening frame, the Knights got on the board first after a hit by pitch, infield single, and another hit by pitch loaded the bases for Zacks. The Carleton outfielder, who was tied for second in the MIAC in hit by pitches last year, was plunked as well, forcing in the go-ahead run.
Starting pitcher
Ananth Iyer danced through the raindrops for three frames, stranding eight Norse on the basepaths while keeping them scoreless. In the fourth, though, Luther loaded the bases through two-hit by pitches and a walk, and Prince belted a grand slam to left field to give the hosts a 4-1 edge. Luther added an insurance run on an RBI double from Noah Kindem in the sixth.
In the top of the seventh. the Knights looked to stage a rally, as
Nathan Barnhart, Zacks, and
Steve Antrim all roped singles to load up the bases.
John Hurtubise cut the Carleton deficit to 5-2 with a sac fly to right.
Brayden Stark lofted a deep fly ball to left-center with the next at-bat, but Cullen Stamp hauled it in to secure the sweep for the Norse.
Charles Running started the game for Luther, and pitched 3.0 innings with one run allowed. Kaleb Thiesse pitched the final 4.0 innings, also giving up one and earning the win. Iyer pitched 4.0 innings, striking out six and giving up four earned.
Sam Chutkow threw the other 2.0 frames for Carleton, fanning one and giving up one run.
Up Next for the Knights:
Carleton heads to Tucson, Ariz., for spring break with nine games on the schedule from March 16-22.
