DUBUQUE, Iowa – Nebraska Wesleyan opened the 2019 American Rivers Conference baseball season with a 5-3 road victory at Loras College on Sunday afternoon (March 24) in Dubuque, Iowa.  Game two of the doubleheader was postponed until Monday with first pitch starting at 12 pm.
 
Hayden Parker was the story of the game for the Prairie Wolves as the sophomore right hander shut down the Loras batters.  Parker threw six scoreless innings allowing only three hits with five strikeouts.
 
NWU got on the board in the top of the 3^rd inning when Will Watkins blasted a solo home run over the left field wall.  They added another run in the 4^th inning.  Riley Ward led off the inning with a single, stole second base and came around to score on a single by Brook Johnson.
 
In the 6^th inning the Prairie Wolves made it 3-0 as Derek Kolbush walked, moved up to bases on wild pitches then scored on a single by Jack Wojtalewicz.  The lead was extended to 4-0 in the 7^th inning as Kaleb Knox singled to start the inning, the first of three straight hits.  Watkins and Zach Plummer also singled to load the bases.  Drew Nichols was hit by a pitch to allow Knox to score.  Three runners were stranded on base for the Prairie Wolves.
 
Loras finally broke up the shutout in the bottom of the 8^th inning getting an RBI double.  They made a late rally in the 9^th inning.
 
The first two batters walked to start the 9^th inning then a wild pitch put runners on 2^nd and 3^rd with no outs.  A balk call allowed the first Loras run of the inning to score. Tucker McHugh recorded a strikeout, then the Duhawks got a single to cut the lead to 5-3.  McHugh then got the next two batters to fly out and ground out ending the threat and securing the victory.
 
NWU ended the game with 10 hits led by Brook Johnson, Will Watkins and Zach Plummer who each had two hits.