TIGERS DROP FIRST DH OF THE SEASON 12-2 & 8-0 AGAINST KANSAS WESLEYAN

Salina, Kan. – The Dakota Wesleyan Baseball team dropped their first doubleheader of the 2023 season by scores of 12-2 in game 1 and 8-0 in game 2. The Tigers collected two runs on six hits in the first game while going scoreless with two hits in the second. Lane Darrow went 2 for 5 on the day with a run scored, double and a walk. DWU looks to get in the win column with a rematch against the Coyotes tomorrow at noon.

Recap:

Game 1 –

Jereko Martinez got the opening day nod for the Tigers, but would run into early trouble with the top of the Coyotes lineup after the DWU bats went down in order. Martinez surrendered five runs in the first inning giving up a three run shot and issuing three walks. Martinez stranded the runner at third with a pop out to Jake Kostenbauer at short. Kostenbauer would turn around in the top half of the second and pickup the first hit of 2023 on a two-out single, but be picked off trying to steal second on a ball in the dirt to end the half inning. Kansas Weselyan put three more runs on the board on two hits and four free passes making it 8-0 after two. The Tigers would have nothing doing in the top half bringing in Jacob Glovich relieving Martinez in the bottom half. Glovich also ran into some trouble surrendering two runs on two hits and one being a home run to push the Coyotes lead to 10-0 through three. Glovich would settle in holding KWU scoreless in the fourth and fifth, but the Tigers bats stayed quiet as well keeping it 10-0 after five frames.

Diego Jirau got the Tigers on the board with his two-out RBI double in the sixth scoring Seth Christiansen from second after his walk and stolen base. The threat would end there leaving it 10-1 heading to the bottom half. Kansas Wesleyan plated two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to push their lead to 12-1 after six. Dakota Wesleyan again would threaten but only manage to plate one run in the inning on a Drew Kitchens RBI single scoring Lane Darrow from third after his leadoff double and advancing to third on a passed ball. Martinez would take the loss for the Tigers on the mound. Darrow led offensively, going 2 for 2 with a double and run scored. Jirau, Christiansen, Kostenbauer and Kitchens would all record one hit in the contest.

Game 2 –

Alexander Mizsak would get the start on the bump for the Tigers in game two. Mizsak, like Martinez in game one, would run into trouble early and give up a two-out three run shot putting the Tigers down 3-0 after a scoreless top of the frame from the DWU bats. Kansas Wesleyan added two more runs in the second to increase their lead to 5-0 after a scoreless frame from Dakota Wesleyan. The Tigers got a runner in scoring position in the third inning, but nothing would come from it keeping it 5-0 after a scoreless frame from Mizsak. Bradley Skorczews would pickup his first hit of the season in the top of the fourth but be stranded there keeping it 5-0 heading to the bottom half. KWU plated three more runs on back-to-back home runs resulting in head coach Charlie Dubanoski to call to the pen for Landon Waddell who would record the last out of the inning making it an 8-0 ballgame through four. The Tigers would go down in order in the top half, but get a scoreless frame from Waddell to keep it 8-0 after five. DWU looked like they were going to get something going with a leadoff double from Wyatt Hunt, but would have the next three hitters retired keeping the Tiger bats scoreless. Logan Miller relieved Waddell for the bottom of the sixth and would toss a perfect inning with three strikeouts. DWU went 1-2-3 in the top half for an 8-0 final.

Head-to-Head (Kansas Wesleyan):

• DWU is 3-7 now all-time against KWU with dropping both games today.
• Last meeting against the Coyotes saw the Tigers fall 14-5 and 5-2 on February 16^th, 2020.

Up Next: The Dakota Wesleyan Baseball team returns to the diamond tomorrow for a single game rematch against the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes. First pitch set for 12:00 p.m.