GPAC

[Baseball] Bats Come Alive to Earn Sweep for Baseball

Doane Baseball completed their first weekend of conference action on Saturday with their first road trip within GPAC play as they traveled to Sioux Center, Iowa, to take on Dordt. Both teams entered the day undefeated in conference action. Doane used a strong pitching performance to post an 8-1 win in game one of the doubleheader. The Tigers then used the bats in game two to post a 16-13 victory. Game OneDoane plated a run in the 2nd inning with Dordt countering in the bottom of the frame. The Tigers then scored four runs in the 3rd and never looked back in taking a convincing 8-1 victory.Nate Mensik (FR/Pleasant Dale, Neb.) plated Doane's first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to score Luke LaChance (FR/Littleton, Colo.). Dordt came back to tie the game in the bottom of the 2nd on a solo home run. Doane regained the lead in the 3rd inning as Andy Theiler (JR/Arlington, Neb.) opened with a double and scored on a two-run home run by Lukas White (SO/Castaic, Calif.). The Tigers added two more runs as Joe Osborn (FR/Hickman, Neb.) hit a two-run home run to bring in LaChance and give Doane a 5-1 lead.Talon Little (JR/Lincoln, Neb.) was able to get in a home run swing as he opened the 5th inning with a solo blast. Doane's final two runs were plated in the 7th inning as Osborn had a RBI-single and Mensik hit an RBI-double.On the mound for Doane, Jordan Wisner (JR/Anaheim Hills, Calif.) started and 4.0 innings to pick up the win to improve to 4-0. He allowed one run on four this and a walk while striking out eight. Kyler Beekman (FR/Elkhorn, Neb.) threw the final 3.0 innings and picked up his first save as he allowed one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.Doane finished the game with 10 hits, two apiece from Tucker Catlett (SR/Lincoln, Neb.) and Osborn. LaChance led the team with three runs scored while Osborn scored two runs and drove in three. Game TwoDespite all the runs scored, the Tigers only used two pitchers in the final game as they out-slugged Dordt to pick up the sweep. Doane scored their runs in four of the nine innings while the Defenders scored in five of the innings.In the 1st, Doane jumped out early with three runs. The first run of the game scored on a misplayed fly ball with the bases loaded. Jaryn Nakamoto (SR/Aiea, Hawaii) followed with a bases loaded walk to give the Tigers' their second run. Brett Meyer (FR/Seward, Neb.) followed with a sacrifice fly for the third run of the inning.A fielding error in the outfield for Doane allowed Dordt to score their first run of the game in the 1st inning. The Defenders collected a solo home run in the 2nd inning to pull within a run and took the lead in the 3rd inning with five runs crossing the plate. The key hit in the inning was a three-run home run with two outs to put the Defenders up 7-3.Doane came back in the 4th inning as they plated eight runs on six hits and four Dordt errors. Jack Tillman (SO/Omaha, Neb.) got the inning started with a solo home run. Theiler then singled, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error, and scored on another throwing error. An error with the bases loaded allowed Doane to tie the game as two runs scored and Meyer followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Tigers the lead. A bunt single by LaChance put runners at the corners and LaChance promptly stole second. A throwing error allowed the runner from third to score. Tillman capped off the inning with a RBI-double, his second hit and second RBI of the inning.White added to Doane's lead in the 7th with a RBI-single. The Tigers then scored two runs on an error and one on a wild pitch to push the lead to 15-7. Dordt answered back with a three-run home run in the bottom of the 7th to pull within five runs. Doane was able to get a run back in the 8th on a sacrifice fly by White to take a 16-10 lead.In the bottom of the 9th, Dordt had four hits in the first five batters to start the inning and plate a run. With the bases loaded and one out, the Tigers were able to cut down a runner at the plate for the second out. An error plated two runs and brought the tying run to the plate. Doane was able to get a ground out to end the game.White started for Doane on the hill, going 2.2 innings and allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits with two strikeouts. Thaniel Trumper (FR/Fort Collins, Colo.) threw the final 6.1 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight this with eight strikeouts.At the plate, Theiler recorded five of the team's 14 hits, scored two runs and drove in one. White was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two driven in with Little going 2-for-5 with three runs scored. Tillman added a 2-for-5 effort, scoring one run and driving in two. Nakamoto and Meyer added two RBIs apiece.