Baseball concludes season with doubleheader split versus No. 20 Concordia on senior day

MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team concluded its 2020-21 campaign with a doubleheader split versus conference foe No. 20 Concordia University as DWU celebrated senior day from Cadwell Park in Mitchell, S.D.

 Concordia sealed the victory in game one by a score of 15-4, however, Dakota Wesleyan bounced back with a 4-3 win in the second game of the doubleheader.

 The first game saw CUNE work an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, though the Tigers (16-25, 9-19 GPAC) added a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame which evened the score at 2-2. Luke LeMay (St. Paul, Minn.) began the scoring affair thanks to a fielder's choice which plated Cameron Quigley (Newcastle, Wyo.). With runners now on first and second, Reed Harter (Colome, S.D.) singled to centerfield and drove home Tyler Torres (Novato, Calif.).

 Dakota Wesleyan continued the momentum in the following inning as DWU notched its first lead of the game via a pair of hits. Seth Christiansen (Victor, Idaho) led off the inning with a hit to center field and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jared Jones (Edmond, Okla.) responded with the second hit of the inning which gave the Tigers the 3-2 lead heading into the top half of the third frame.

 Unbothered by the one-run deficit, the Bulldogs (34-9, 21-7 GPAC) erupted for four runs in the third inning and added seven runs thanks to a grand slam in the fifth frame. Concordia, who now controlled a 13-3 advantage in the middle of the fifth frame, surrendered just one run in the final three innings.

 Daulton Wilcoxen (Council Bluffs, Iowa) singled with one out in the bottom of the fifth frame and Quigley, who tallied both a pair of hits and runs scored, accounted for the final DWU run in game one. CUNE, who amassed 18 hits in the doubleheader opener, held on for the convincing 15-4 victory.

 Jones, who got the start for Dakota Wesleyan in the second game of the doubleheader, retired the Bulldogs in order during the top of the first frame. The 6-foot righthander struck out the second CUNE hitter of the inning followed by a routine groundball executed by second baseman Harter.

 The Tiger bats registered the first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning as Quigley led off with a double to left field. Two batters later, Wilcoxen recorded a sacrifice fly which brought home Quigley and DWU garnered the 1-0 lead.

 Both starting pitchers found their grooves over the next two innings as both teams combined for just three hits. Jones, who fanned four Bulldog hitters, struck out the first two batters in the second inning and retired the side in the third frame.

 Though, Concordia claimed the momentum with a pair of runs in the fourth inning and held a 3-2 lead as the game reached the seventh inning.

 Faced with two outs in the bottom of the seventh frame, Jacob Hammons (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Quigley dialed back-to-back RBI singles which scored LeMay and Joseph Hanisch (Hartford, S.D.), respectively. Drew DeMers (Winner, S.D.) accounted for the final out of the frame, however, the Blue and Gray now held the 4-3 lead with two innings of play.

Faced with six outs left, Jones secured the complete game and earned his fifth win of the season as the Tigers secured the 4-3 win in game two. Hanisch paced the Tigers with two runs scored while Hammons finished 1-of-3 from the plate with a pair of RBIs.

 Dakota Wesleyan wraps up the season with a 16-25 overall record including a 9-19 mark in Great Plains Athletic Conference play.