DWU splits with Doane in weekend series

MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team hosted Doane University for a four-game Great Plains Athletic Conference series. Doane picked up two victories on Friday, while DWU swept Doane on Saturday from Mitchell, S.D.

 Neither team could muster a run through the opening three innings as both pitchers proved to be too much. Dominique Boerger (Milbank, S.D.) started on the mound and only faced 13 batters through the first three frames.

 However, Doane (15-25, 10-14 GPAC) tallied the first run of the game with a solo-shot homerun to take a 1-0 lead. But, DWU (20-19, 14-10 GPAC) responded in the next inning as Reed Harter (Colome, S.D.) scored on a wild pitch to notch the game, 1-1.

 Doane regained the lead one frame later with another homerun. The run proved to be too much as DWU fell in the opening game of the series, 2-1.

 Harter finished 1-for-3 with a run scored, as Jerrod Zens (Alexandria, S.D.) and Chandler Bakley (Martin, S.D.) each went 1-for-3 at the plate. Boerger suffered the loss as he pitched all seven innings, striking out eight batters and allowing two runs.

 In the second game, Doane took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. In the bottom half of the frame, the Tigers began with back-to-back doubles as Zens knocked a double to right field that brought Wes Anderson (Duluth, Minn.) home to tie the game.

 Doane added six runs in the following two innings to take a 7-1 lead. DWU could not get runners home as they did not score another run in the game, dropping the contest 10-1.

 Zens finished with a run batted in, as Anderson went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Drew DeMers (Winner, S.D.) finished 1-for-3 and Kyle Bailey (Brandon, S.D.) went 1-for-1. Gavin Reichmuth (Chandler, Ariz.) was tabbed with the loss after pitching six and a third innings, striking out five batters.

 In the first game of Saturday, Doane jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The lead was short-lived as DWU added a pair of runs after Joseph Hanisch (Hartford, S.D.) hit an RBI single.

 After Doane tied the game in the next inning, DWU regained a 7-2 lead thanks to a three-run homerun by Tyler Torres (Novato, Calif.).Two innings later, Landon Neugebauer (Mitchell, S.D.) singled to right field, bringing a run home. Two batters later, Anderson connected on an RBI single to conclude the scoring for the fifth inning. Doane added two runs in the top of the sixth, but it was not enough as DWU took the game, 11-4.

 Torres finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored, as Hanisch went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in. Anderson finished with two hits and two runs scored, while Harter tallied an RBI. Gunnar Johnson (Gresham, Ore.) picked up the win on the mound as he struck out five batters in six innings pitched.

 Anderson kicked off the final game of the series with a solo-shot homerun to give DWU a 1-0 lead. Neither team could tally a run until Neugebauer smashed a two-run homerun over the left field fence to push the Tiger lead to three runs.

 One inning later, DWU added its' third homerun of the game as Bailey nailed a three-run shot over the left field fence, pushing the lead to 7-0. Doane cut into the DWU lead in the seventh frame with a run.

 With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Harter connected on an RBI single to push the lead to seven runs again. Doane mounted a comeback as they pushed four runs across home plate in the eighth inning to pull within three runs. They tacked on a pair of runs in the final inning, but Zens ended the game as he caught a fly ball to left field, giving DWU an 8-7 victory.

 Bailey finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored, while Neugebauer added two RBIs. Anderson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Ethan Davis (Billings, Mont.) struck out four batters in seven innings as he was tabbed with the win, while Rick Strubel (Huron, S.D.) picked up the save.

 The Tigers hit the road for a road matchup against Midland University at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Fremont, Neb.