DWU picks up one win at Doane over weekend series

CRETE, Neb.– In a four-game series with Doane University, the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team came away with one victory as they won the final game of the series on Saturday and Sunday in Crete, Neb.

 DWU lost the first game, 13-4 and fell in the second game on Saturday by a score of 8-4. The Tigers of Dakota Wesleyan dropped the opener on Sunday, 18-2 but came away with a 10-6 victory in the final game of the weekend.

 Cameron Quigley (Newcastle, Wyo.) got off to a quick start as he kicked off the first game with a triple. Two batters later, Daulten Wilcoxen (Council Bluffs, Iowa) grounded out to shortstop, bringing Quigley home to take an early 1-0 lead.

 However, Doane answered with an RBI double to left field in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game going into the second frame. One inning later, the Tigers of Doane (27-13-1, 16-4 GPAC) took a 3-1 lead following a two-run homerun.

 In the top of the third, Wilcoxen drove home Quigley for another run to help the Tigers (11-20, 5-15 GPAC) pull within one run. Despite the run in the top of the frame, Doane added three runs in the bottom half to push its lead to 6-2.

 DWU attempted to rally in the top of the fifth inning as Wilcoxen connected on a two-run homerun, making it a three-run game. But Doane notched six runs over the fifth and sixth innings to take the opening game of the weekend.

 In the second game of Saturday, Doane jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage after a two-run homerun was sent over the right-field fence. Neither team scored again until the fourth inning as Wyatt Hunt (Rapid City, S.D.) hit a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing a run home.

 After Doane tallied a run over each of the next two innings, Drew DeMers (Winner, S.D.) connected on a sac fly to center field to notch a run. In the top of the seventh frame, Jared Jones (Edmond, Okla.) nailed a two-run shot over the left-field fence to help DWU tie the game, 4-4.

 Just as it looked as if DWU came roaring back, Doane added a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to walk away with an 8-4 win.

 In the opening matchup on Sunday it was all Doane as they recorded 11 runs in the opening inning. Despite scoring a pair of runs in the top of the fourth frame, DWU lost the third game of the weekend.

 In the final game, it was the Blue and Gray that came away victorious. Luke LeMay (St. Paul, Minn.) kicked things off in the top of the second inning as he drilled a solo-shot homerun over the left-field fence. After Wilcoxen connected on an RBI double in the top of the third, Doane tied the game with a two-run shot to left field.

 In the bottom of the fourth frame, Doane took a 4-2 lead after posting two runs. But, DWU tied the game after a two-run top of the fifth, followed by a one-run inning by Doane to take the lead once again.

 It was all Dakota Wesleyan in the final innings as Reed Harter (Colome, S.D.) smacked a two-run homerun in the bottom of the sixth inning. DWU added four more runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure the 10-6 victory.

 Wilcoxen finished the weekend 6-for-15 with five RBIs, three runs scored and a homerun. LeMay went 6-for-15 with two RBIs and a homerun, while Jones picked up the lone win on the mound as he pitched eight frames, striking out five batters.

 The Tigers return home to host Hastings College in a four-game series beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday from Cadwell Field in Mitchell.