SIX RUN FOURTH INNING IN BOTH GAMES FOR NO. 24 DOANE PROVES TO BE DIFFERENCE IN 7-2 & 7-1 LOSSES FOR DWU TO OPEN GPAC SCHEDULE
Crete, Neb. – The Dakota Wesleyan baseball team dropped their first GPAC doubleheader of the season to No. 24 Doane University by scores of 7-2 and 7-1. The fourth inning in both games proved to be the difference with Doane plating six runs in both games. Dakota Wesleyan picked up their first home run of the 2023 season off the bat of Seth Christiansen in game one. Diego Jirau and Christiansen both turned in quality days at the plate with Christiansen going 2 for 6 with the home run, two runs batted in and scored while also picking up a double. Jirau went 4 for 6 with one run batted in. The DWU Tigers dropped to 3-10 (0-2 GPAC) on the season with the Doane Tigers improving to 16-4 (2-0).
Quick Stats Game 1:
Hitters-
- Seth Christiansen – 1 for 3, HR (First of the season)
- Daulton Wilcoxen – 2 for 3, RBI
- Diego Jirau – 2 for 3
Pitchers-
- Alexander Mizsak – 3.1 innings, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, Loss
- Landon Waddell – 1.2 inning, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Recap:
The DWU Tigers struck first plating one run on three hits in the top half of the first. Lane Darrow got it started with a leadoff single continuing his strong start to freshman season. Darrow advanced to third when Diego Jirau laced a one-out single to center. With two outs Daulton Wilcoxen went the other way with a RBI single scoring Darrow from first. True freshman, Alexander Mizsak got the nod for Dakota Wesleyan in the first GPAC matchup and got through the first inning clean stranding two runners and recording a big two-out punchout on a full count off-speed pitch in the dirt. Both teams did no damage in the second and third innings. Mizsak continued to pitch well only allowing one baserunner in the two innings but faced six batters thanks to a double play fly out with a great relay started with Carter Gullickson in right to shortstop Jake Kostenbauer and finished at third base with Seth Christiansen applying the tag.
Top half of the fourth had DWU go down in order leaving it a 1-0 Dakota Wesleyan advantage. Doane busted it open in the bottom half though, finally getting to Mizsak plating six runs (five earned) on four hits and one DWU error. Landon Waddell relieved Mizsak and recorded the final two outs in the inning. The error came with runners on first and second and Doane squaring for a sacrifice bunt and the bunt being fielded and thrown wide of second baseman Drew Kitchens covering first, allowing both runners to come across to score and the Doane batter going all the way to third. Through four innings DWU Tigers trailed 6-1. DOA went to the pen in the top half of the fifth set to face the bottom of the DWU order. Dakota Wesleyan went down in order leaving it 6-1. Doane added to their lead in the bottom half with another run coming off a flare double to no man's land in center just out of reach of a diving Kalub Carmichael.
Christiansen started the top of the sixth off with a BANG hitting the first home run for DWU on the season with his solo shot to left cutting the Doane lead back to five at 7-2. Jirau and Wilcoxen both reached on base hits but would be stranded out on the base paths keeping it 7-2 after the Christiansen jack. Presten Riddle took over mound duties for Waddell in the bottom of the sixth and worked a scoreless inning allowing a two-out double but stranding the Doane runner by recording an inning ending punchout. DWU had nothing doing in the top of the seventh for a 7-2 final with both games being played today and tomorrow being seven inning games.
Quick Stats Game 2:
Hitters-
- Diego Jirau – 2 for 3, RBI
- Seth Christiansen – 1 for 3, Run, 2B
- Kalub Carmichael – 2 for 3
Pitchers-
- Jacob Glovich – 3.1 innings, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, Loss
- Dexter Payne – 2.2 innings, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Recap:
Similar to game one of the day, DWU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to Christiansen one-out double and being brought in on Jirau's single. Christiansen and Jirau both continued swinging a hot stick on the day with the base knocks. Jacob Glovich got the start on the bump in game two and ran into early trouble but worked some damage control limiting Doane to one run and leaving two on base for a 1-1 score through one. Also like in game one both teams' bats were quiet in the second and third innings. Glovich gave up one hit each inning but also had a punchout in each frame. DWU threatened in the third getting two guys on base with Carmichael reaching on a bunt single and Jirau picking up his fourth hit on the day, second in game two, but both would be stranded keeping it 1-1.
Dakota Wesleyan went down 1,2,3 in the top of the fourth. DWU up to this point was having a hard time timing up Doane starter, Julian Vargas, who racked up nine strikeouts through the first four frames. Being almost identical to game one, DOA busted it open again in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating six runs on five hits and one DWU error. Glovich was responsible for five of the runs and was then relieved by Dexter Payne who surrendered the other run in the inning for a 7-1 Doane lead through four.
In the top of the fifth and DWU needing to start chipping away at the DOA lead the DWU Tigers got the first two men on with singles from Kostenbauer and Carmichael flipping the batting order with runners on first and second and nobody out. Vargas continued his strong efforts on the mound for Doane keeping Dakota Wesleyan hitters off balance, picking up his 10th and 11th strikeout and escaping the jam keeping it 7-1. Payne tossed a scoreless bottom of the fifth and the DWU bats had nothing doing in the top of the sixth leaving it 7-1. Payne in the bottom half retired the first two batters, but then ran into a little trouble allowing the next two to reach safely. Payne was able to induce a fielders choice groundout to Christiansen at third to end the threat and keep it 7-1 heading to the top half of the seventh and DWU last chance to tie things up or take the lead with it being a seven inning game. Dakota Wesleyan couldn't get any rally going in the top half for a 7-1 final.
Head-to-Head (Doane):
- Dakota Wesleyan is now 3-12 in their last 15 matchups against Doane with today's losses.
- The Tigers last played against the Doane Tigers March 28th, 2022 dropping the games by scores of 8-6 and 10-0.
Up Next: The Dakota Wesleyan Baseball team runs it back against the No. 24 Doane Tigers with another double-header tomorrow, Sunday, March 21st with the first game set for 12:00 p.m.
