Baseball 3/8/03 -- Luther (Iowa) 11-9, Augsburg 4-2

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (3/8/03) -- Luther College pounded out 11 hits in the first game and eight hits in the second, while taking advantage of four Augsburg College errors in each game, as the Norse swept a baseball doubleheader from the Auggies on Saturday evening at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

It was Luther's season-opening doubleheader, while Augsburg drops to 0-3-1 overall. Luther won the first game 11-4, while winning the second game 9-2.

Four Norse -- David Zelinskas, John Jaeger, Brad Paulsrud and Matt Cessna -- had two hits apiece, with Zelinskas, Jaeger, Cessna and Neil Theisen scoring two runs apiece. Jaeger drove in six runs in the first game, with a grand-slam home run in the second inning and a two-run double in the first.

Meanwhile, Augsburg managed single runs in the third and sixth innings, as Pat Marsh (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) drove in Andy Nelson (Fr., Waseca, Minn.) on a single in the third and Russ Bauer (Sr., Faribault, Minn.) brough home Marsh on a single in the sixth. Two runs came across in the seventh, as Nelson singled to bring home Pat Knafla (Jr., Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice HS) and Joe Holman (Sr., Springfield, Minn.) hit a sacrifice fly to drive home M.J. Iverson (Sr., New Germany, Minn./Norwood-Young America Central HS). Bauer went 2-for-3 to lead the Auggies.

Josh Conway pitched a complete-game effort for Luther in the first game, striking out four. Augsburg used four pitchers, with Nick Rathmann (Sr., Waseca, Minn.) taking the loss, pitching just the first inning.

Augsburg took an early lead in the second game, as Jon Kozitza (Jr., North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS) scored after Rathmann hit a single and advanced on a fielding error.

However, four runs came across in the fourth inning for the Norse on three htis and an error, another run came across on an error and wild pitch in the fifth, and four more came across in the seventh on four hits and an error.

Augsburg scored in the fifth, as Marsh plated Nelson on a double.

Josh Jevne and Jaeger pitched the win for the Norse, with Jevne pitching four innings and Jaeger striking out five in three innings of work. Andy dahl (Jr., Cottonwood, Minn./Lakeview HS) started and pitched four innings, with Kurt Dybdahl (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Edison HS) pitching in relief.

Theisen scored two runs for Luther, and Brock Reed went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Norse. Marsh went 2-for-3 for the Auggies.

Augsburg returns to action with a doubleheader against Wisconsin-Superior on Monday (3/10) at 7:30 a.m. at the Metrodome.