Tiger baseball closes season at Concordia

SEWARD, Neb. – The Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team finished the season with four games against Great Plains Athletic Conference foe Concordia University on Saturday and Sunday. DWU won the first game 4-2, but lost the final three games 3-1, 5-1 and 10-9 in Seward, Neb.

 The Bulldogs (25-20, 13-13 GPAC) jumped on the scoreboard first in the first inning after an RBI single. But, the Tigers (11-28, 7-19 GPAC) got to work in the third inning. Wes Anderson (Duluth, Minn.) doubled to left-center field, bringing home three runners. Later in the inning, Anderson scored on a passed ball to make it 4-1 in the favor of DWU.

 In the bottom of the fifth inning Concordia hit a homerun to right field, making it 4-2. That was not enough as the Tigers took the first game of the weekend from the Bulldogs. Anderson led the way going 1-for-3 with three RBIs, while Reed Harter (Colome, S.D.) and Branden Oropeza (San Francisco, Calif.) finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Gavin Reichmuth (Chandler, Ariz.) went the distance as he struck out two batters and only allowed two earned runs.

 Oropeza kicked off the second game with an RBI double to get the Tigers going early. However, the Bulldogs answered in the bottom of the first with a homerun to tie the game. Neither team scored until the bottom of the sixth inning where Concordia plated two runs to take a 3-1 lead, and the second game.

 Oropeza went 2-for-4 with an RBI, as Harter finished 1-for-3. Dillon Stadlman (Parkston, S.D.) was tabbed with the loss after striking out two batters and allowing four hits.

 The first game of Sunday began similarly to the second game of Saturday as both teams scored a run in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Chandler Bakley (Martin, S.D.) was walked, allowing for Anderson to come home. Concordia added a run in the bottom of the first to tie the game, 1-1.

 One inning later, the Bulldogs tallied three runs after a two-run double and sacrifice fly pushed them to a 4-1 lead. Concordia notched another run in the third inning to push past the Tigers.

 Anderson went 1-for-3 with a run, Brody Kunzmann (Sioux Falls, S.D.) finished 1-for-3 and Oropeza went 1-for-4 to lead the Tigers. Steven Sagasty (Pacifica, Calif.) pitched six innings, striking out four batters and allowed five hits.

 In the final game of the weekend, DWU got on the scoreboard in the first inning as JT Miller (Sioux Falls, S.D.) hit a sacrifice fly into right field, bringing home a run. However, the Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the first inning with a run of their own.

 Kyle Bailey (Brandon, S.D.) singled to center field, bringing home a run to give DWU a 2-1 lead in the second inning. In the top of the third, Kunzmann reached on a fielder's choice, while two runs scored thanks to an error. Next up, Jonathan Shani (San Francisco, Calif.) hit an RBI single into center field to give DWU a 4-1 lead. 

 The Bulldogs added three runs in the third inning and a run in the fourth to take the lead, 5-4. But, DWU tied the game after a sacrifice fly by Oropeza. One inning later, Drew DeMers (Winner, S.D.) hit an RBI single to take the lead, 6-5.

 However, Concordia added a five runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 10-6 lead. With one chance remaining to tie or take the lead, Oropeza doubled to left center field, bringing three runs home to make it a 10-9 ballgame. But, the comeback fell short as the next three batters struck out.

 Oropeza went 1-for-4 with four RBIs, DeMers finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Miller went 1-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Shani finished the game 1-for-5 with an RBI, as Bailey went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Dominique Boerger (Milbank, S.D.) took the loss as he struck out two batters and allowed five hits.

 The Tigers finish the season with an 11-28 record and 7-19 in the GPAC. DWU graduates six seniors from the roster.