TIGERS FALL TO NO. 14 BRUINS 8-0
Bellevue, Neb. – The Dakota Wesleyan baseball team fell to No. 14 Bellevue University 8-0 in a mid-week matchup. The Tigers were slightly outhit by the Bruins 10-7 in the contest with Bellevue taking full advantage of the nine free passes they were issued at the plate and also being active on the base paths going 3-3 on stolen bases. DWU stranded seven runners on base compared to BU leaving 11 men on base. The Tigers drop to 3-8 on the year with the Bruins improving to 13-4.
Quick Stats:
Hitters-
- Seth Christiansen – 3 for 4, 2B
- Lane Darrow – 2 for 4
Pitchers-
- Alexander Mizsak – 3.2 innings, 8 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
- Dexter Payne – 2.1 inning, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB
Recap:
The Tigers opened the game getting the first two men on in Lane Darrow and Seth Christiansen with a pair of singles. With one out Wyatt Hunt laced a full count pitch to the left center gap but was corralled by the All-American Bruins centerfielder in Kobayashi. Bradley Skorczewski loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch but DWU would strand the bases loaded keeping it 0-0. The freshman Alexander Mizsak got the nod for the Tigers against a very tough Bruins lineup. Mizsak cruised through the first two batters collecting one punchout, but then ran into trouble giving up back to back singles that scored a run after a Bellevue stolen base. The Tigers caught a lucky break with the next Bruins batter hitting a double in the gap that would have scored another run, but the ball went over the fence with the all turf field resulting in the runner to go back to third. Mizsak stranded the runners in scoring position to leave it 1-0 Bruins after one.
DWU recorded one lone hit by Kalub Carmichael in the top half of the second leaving it 1-0. In the bottom half the Bruins tacked another run on the board, but again Mizsak worked damage control leaving the bases loaded for just a 2-0 Bellevue lead and already five runners left on base. Mizsak working against a tough lineup from top to bottom and having every pitch be a "stressed" pitched worked his pitch count to 40 through the first two frames. Christiansen started the top half of the third with his second hit of the day that was a hustle double landing in no mans land between short and center. DWU followed with two strikeouts and Christiansen caught stealing third on the strikeout to end the top half of the frame. The Bruins added another run in the bottom half without recording a hit in the inning for a 3-0 lead through three frames.
Top of the fourth had the Tigers go 1-2-3, keeping it 3-0. Mizsak surrendered four runs in the bottom half ending his day with a runner on second and two outs. The Tigers called to Dexter Payne out of the bullpen fresh off his eight inning shutout win in his first career start against Bethany Lutheran. Payne retired the batter, stranding Mizsak's runner on second for a 7-0 Bruins lead through four frames. In the top half of the fifth Dakota Wesleyan faced the fourth Bruins pitcher of the game and threatened again with a runner in scoring position in Carmichael reaching on a walk and advancing to third on a pair of wild pitches but would remain there keeping it 7-0. Payne, in the bottom half, sat the Bruins down in order for the first 1-2-3 inning of the day for the Tigers and also pushing his scoreless streak to nine and a third innings.
Bellevue University would go to the pen again for their fifth arm of the day, clearly with the game plan of getting some work for multiple arms heading into their conference schedule. DWU had nothing doing in the top half. The Tigers got a runner on but was back picked by the catcher clearing the bases. Payne's scoreless streak would end at nine and two thirds innings surrendering one run in the bottom half of the sixth for an 8-0 Bellevue lead. The Tigers in the top half faced the sixth different Bruins pitcher, which can make it hard on the DWU batters to find a rhythm with the constant change of arms. Drew Kitchens led off the half inning with a single but then would have the Tigers go down in order all via the strikeout. Landon Waddell relieved Payne on the bump in the bottom half of the seventh for DWU. Waddell ran into early trouble loading the bases with nobody out, all self-induced by the Tigers coming from two walks and an error. Waddell worked out of trouble getting a punchout and 6-4-3 double play to end the inning leaving it 8-0 through seven.
The top half of the eighth had Darrow and Christiansen both lace singles similar to the first inning putting two runners on with nobody out. Like in the first though DWU wouldn't scratch a run across with a groundout and 6-4-3 inning ending double play. Presten Riddle would appear out of the dugout to toe the rubber for the bottom of the eighth and worked a perfect 1-2-3 inning sending it to the ninth for the Tigers who would face their eighth pitcher in an 8-0 game. The Tigers went down in order for a 8-0 final.
Head-to-Head (Bellevue):
- Dakota Wesleyan is now 0-1 with today's loss against Bellevue with this being the first meeting since at least 2012 (As far as website goes back).
Up Next: The Dakota Wesleyan Baseball team is back in action with a double header at No. 24 Doane University, March 20th and 21st with the first game at 12:00 p.m. Monday.
