GPAC

[Baseball] Baseball Advances to Bracket Championship

Doane Baseball advanced to the championship of the GPAC Tournament – Doane Bracket on Friday with a 6-5 walk off victory over Mount Marty in 10 innings. The Tigers will face Jamestown on Saturday at 10 AM after the Jimmies defeated Northwestern and Mount Marty on Friday afternoon.In the opening inning, Mount Marty struck first with a two-out single by Billy Hancock to take a 1-0 lead. Doane came back in the bottom of the inning by pushing three runs across the plate on two big flies. Lukas White (SO/Castaic, Calif.) led off the bottom of the inning and hit a solo home run to tie the game. Aaron Mason (SR/Omaha, Neb.) added a two-run blast to plate Joe Osborn (FR/Hickman, Neb.) to give the Tigers a 3-1 advantage.The Lancers took the lead back in the 5th inning as the first two batters reached base and then Mason Townsend hit a three-run home run for a 4-3 lead over Doane.The lead was short-lived as Doane came back with two runs in the bottom of the 5th. Nate Mensik (FR/Pleasant Dale, Neb.) delivered a two-out, two-run single to plate Jaryn Nakamoto (SR/Aiea, Hawaii) and Brett Meyer (FR/Seward, Neb.).For the second straight game, the Lancers' Colin Muth hit a solo home run in the 8th inning of the GPAC Tournament. His home run on Friday morning tied the game at 5-5.As the teams went to the 10th inning, Mount Marty was on the verge of taking the lead as Zane Salley hit a deep fly ball to center field. Meyer raced back, leaped up, and took away a potential go-ahead home run to keep the game tied.In the bottom of the 10th, Meyer opened the inning with an infield single. He advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt but would eventually be forced out on a fielder's choice at third base. Joe Osborn was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game with two outs which loaded the bases and set the scene for the theatrics. Mason, who returned to Doane this year for one last go-around after his senior season last year was cut short, fell behind in the count before shooting a ball into right field for the game-winning hit to score Trey Adams (FR/Arvada, Colo.), who had entered as a pinch runner for White.Mason finished the game 3-for-6 at the plate with three runs driven in. White, Nakamoto, and Meyer added two hits apiece. White also drew three walks while Osborn was on base five times, twice on a walk, twice after being hit by a pitch, and once on an error.Doane received solid pitching throughout the game. Aaron Forrest (FR/Peoria, Ariz.) started on the hill and went 5.2 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits with two strikeouts. Christian McCown (JR/Diller, Neb.) allowed one hit in 0.1 inning, striking out one batter. Kellan Voggesser (FR/Fort Collins, Colo.) pitched 1.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks. Julian Vargas (FR/Denver, Colo.) picked up 0.1 inning of work as he struck out the only batter he saw. Thaniel Trumper (FR/Fort Collins, Colo.) threw 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing one walk and striking out two in picking up the win to move to 3-2 on the season.