DECORAH, Iowa - The Hamline baseball team (2-6) traveled to Iowa this weekend, falling to Luther (4-4) in both games of the doubleheader. In game one, the Pipers took over the lead briefly in the top of the eighth before seeing the Norse rally for four runs in the bottom of the inning to earn a 6-3 win. In game two, Luther used a big third inning to win 11-6.
 
The Pipers will have one more non-conference game before turning their attention to conference play that begins in April. Hamline heads to Northwestern on Thursday for a game at 4:30 p.m. and then will face Concordia the following week in their first MIAC series.
 
GAME 1: LUTHER 6, HAMLINE 3
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Hamline pitching staff only gave up one earned run throughout the nine innings, but three errors and only four hits hindered them in the contest. Junior Will Tzavaras had a solid outing on the mound for the Pipers, throwing the first seven innings, giving up just one earned run on four hits while striking out six and walking none. Sophomore Zach Branson relieved Tzavaras in the eighth and would take the loss despite giving up no earned runs.
 
The Norse scored first in the game, getting an unearned run across in the bottom of the first. They would tack on another run in the third inning, with a double to center field driving in a run from first.
 
The Pipers would get one of those runs back in the fifth inning when first year Matt Rusch hit his first career home run, driving the ball over the right field fence to make it 2-1.
 
The sixth and seventh innings were scoreless, but Hamline manufactured two runs in the eighth. Sophomore Avery Nelson walked to start the inning and first years Max Gerstner and Mac Enlow each reached on Luther errors. Enlow's hit got Nelson home and Gerstner would score on a sac bunt from senior Colton Peters, putting HU up 3-2.  
 
A walk and two Piper errors loaded the bases to start the bottom of the eighth for the Norse. Two singles later in the inning each drove in two runs to make it 6-3 heading into Hamline's final at-bats. The Pipers were retired in order in the ninth, leaving the final at 6-3.
 
Sophomore Logan Tollefson, senior Zack Langton, and Gerstner each tallied a hit in the game in addition to Rusch's homer.
 
GAME TWO: LUTHER 11, HAMLINE 6
Game two featured more offense and fewer errors for both teams, as the opponents combined for 21 hits in the game. Luther held a 13-8 edge in hits and both teams left nine runners on base.
 
Peters was the lone Piper to tally multiple hits in the game, going 2-4 with four RBIs. Junior Cullen Buck, first year Braaden Bourne, Langton, Nelson, sophomore Owen Christenson, and Gerstner also each had a hit to help the offense.
 
Sophomore Braden Schneider started on the mound, pitching into the third. He gave up six runs (four earned) in the outing, taking the loss. He was relieved by first year Elijah Erickson who gave up four runs (three earned). Sophomore Jonah Smallfield came in next, allowing only one run in his five innings of work. Junior Taylor Just pitched the final inning, giving up one hit, but no runs.
 
Luther once again got on the board in the first inning, taking advantage of a Piper error to take a quick 1-0 lead. In the second, a leadoff walk would get around to score making it 2-0. A seven-hit and four-walk third inning led to nine runs for the Norse, giving them what they would need to coast to a game two victory.

The Pipers would get some of those runs back, however, scoring first in the fifth when Bourne singled Christenson home. They would add another run in the sixth as Langton opened the inning with a walk and would eventually score to make it 11-2.
 
A single from Peters drove in two more runs in the seventh as they Pipers continued to chip away at the Luther lead. Peters would get two more runs in for HU in the ninth, doubling to score Langton and Bourne, but HU would be unable to get any more in, leaving the final 11-6.