Game 1
Central Methodist
Game 2
Central Methodist
Game 3
Olivet Nazarene
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team let a late lead slip away on Saturday in the season opener against Olivet Nazarene University, but rebounded with a doubleheader sweep on Sunday.
The Tigers (2-1) swept Central Methodist University in a pair of games to give first-year Head Coach John Greicar his first wins at the helm of DWU. The Tigers won the first game 9-3 and the rallied for a walk-off 7-6 win in the second. ONU scored five runs in the eighth inning to top DWU on Saturday in the Tigers' season opener.
In the first game against Central Methodist, the Tigers got two hits from sophomore Jared Nielan (Pierre, S.D.), sophomore Chris Combs (Corvallis, Mont.) and sophomore Peyton Price (Norfolk, Neb. Combs had a team-high three RBIs, while senior Tyler Johnson (Elizabeth, Colo.) scored three runs. Sophomore Patrick Whetham (Garretson, S.D.) started the game and went five innings, allowing two earned runs and struck out two batters. Sophomore Will Lutjen (Miller Place, N.Y.) entered the game in the sixth inning, allowing one earned run and picked up the win, his first of the season.
In the second game, Tyler Johnson had a team-high three hits, while junior Jonah Johnson (Kerkhoven, Minn.), junior Neil Nagle (Oslo, Minn.) and senior Ben Ladner (Delray Beach, Fla.) each added two hits. Junior Logan Risse (Martin, S.D.) started on the mound for DWU and pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs and struck out two. Sophomore Steven Sommerville (Ajax, Ontario, Canada) got the win in relief.
In the loss to ONU on Saturday, the Tigers held a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth before allowing five runs. DWU got one run back in the ninth, but fell 7-5 in the season opener. Jonah Johnson and Nagle each finished with two hits, while Neilan added two RBIs. Senior Joey Fitzgerald (Fairmont, Minn.) started and pitched 4 and 2/3 innings allowing two unearned runs on four hits.
The Tigers continue the Tucson Invitational with with a doubleheader against Northern State University on Monday.