Game 2
Hastings
Game 1
Hastings
MITCHELL, S.D. – After a 1-7 start to the Great Plains Athletic Conference season, the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team has turned up its play of late. The Tigers continued to perform well in conference with a split on the road against Hastings College Tuesday in Hastings, Neb.
Hastings used one big inning to take game one 7-4, but DWU rebounded with a 7-3 win in the second game. The Tigers have won six of their last eight in GPAC play. DWU is now 17-23 overall and 7-9 in the GPAC, good enough to be in a four-way tie for sixth place with a pair of doubleheaders remaining.
In game one, DWU took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. Junior Neil Nagle (Oslo, Minn.), who came into play tonight with the second most RBIs in the GPAC, knocked in a pair with a first inning double.
The Broncos answered back with five runs in the second inning, aided by two errors by DWU's defense. Drew Magee drove in three with a bases-clearing triple for Hastings. The Broncos pushed their lead to five runs heading into the seventh and final inning. DWU was able to scratch across two runs on a Cole Wenande (Alexandria, S.D.) single, but Hastings held on for the game-one win.
Junior Michel Kinzler (East Grand Forks, Minn.) took the loss on the mound for DWU, throwing 2 and 2/3 innings, allowing six runs, five earned on four hits, while walking two and striking out three. Nagle finished with three of the Tigers' seven hits to lead DWU's offense.
DWU scored three runs in the fifth and the ninth to overcome an early deficit in game two. Down 2-1, sophomore Jared Neilan (Pierre, S.D.) got the scoring started in the fifth for DWU with an RBI single. Nagle and Wenande both continued their production, adding an RBI single each to give DWU a 4-2 lead.
Up 4-3 heading to the ninth, the Tigers' offense again came through to give the visiting team some breathing room. Junior Austin Calhoon (Winner, S.D.) tripled home a run to get DWU started, while Nagle and sophomore Chris Combs (Corvallis, Mont.) each added an RBI single.
Junior Dustin Steckler (Garretson, S.D.) got the win on the mound for DWU, throwing six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, while striking out seven.
The Tigers continue GPAC play on the road with a doubleheader against Dordt College at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Sioux Center, Iowa.