LINCOLN, Neb. – Connor Cech pitched a complete game shutout and the Prairie Wolves offense exploded for 10 runs on 12 hits as Nebraska Wesleyan rolled past Luther College 10-0 in game one of an American Rivers Conference baseball series on a beautiful Friday afternoon (April 19) at NWU Field.
 
The Prairie Wolves led 2-0 after two innings, then put up seven runs in the 6^th inning and ended the game due to the run rule with a run in the bottom of the 7^th.  NWU has now won three out of their last four games to move to 6-8 in American Rivers Conference play.  Luther, who was second in the league standings, drops to 10-4 in conference.
 
Cech entered the day with an 0-6 record but looked like the team ace on Friday.  He shut down the Norse allowing only five hits with four strikeouts.  The NWU defense was also very solid behind him turning two double plays and making several key plays in the field with only one error.
 
At the plate, the Prairie Wolves got hits from seven of the nine starters in the lineup, including five extra base hits.
 
NWU got the scoring started in the 2^nd inning.  Evan Gellatly doubled putting runners on 2^nd and 3^rd with one out.  Spencer Scheer then scored on a balk and Gellatly came in on a sacrifice fly by Kaleb Knox.
 
12 batters came to the plate in the 6^th inning as the Prairie Wolves scored seven runs on six hits and took advantage of two Norse errors.  Brook Johnson and Riley Ward led off the inning with doubles, then Tyler Winterstein and Derek Kolbush each singled.  An error on a sacrifice bunt attempt allowed a run to score and put two runners on with no outs.
 
Evan Gellatly belted a home run through the wind over the left field wall to score three runs and that was the big blow of the game.  Will Watkins later singled and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.
 
Needing just one run to end the game by the run rule, the first three batters of the 7^th inning reached base.  Knox hit a slow grounder to third base but the fielder's attempt to throw out the runner at home hit the runner allowing the winning run to score.
 
NWU not sits in a tie for 5^th place in the A-R-C standings heading into the doubleheader on Saturday.  First pitch is scheduled for Noon at NWU Field.