OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – For the first time since 2009, the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team took the field for an NAIA Opening Round game Tuesday at Jim Wade Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The No. 5 seeded Tigers took on No. 4 Missouri Baptist University in the first game of the Oklahoma City Bracket and made a strong bid for the program's first-ever Opening Round win. DWU took a two-run lead in the seventh inning, but the Spartans, who are receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll, rallied for four runs in the eighth to down the Tigers 6-4.
With the loss, which snapped a six-game Tiger winning streak, DWU (24-25) moves into the loser's bracket and will play the loser of No. 2 Concordia University (Calif.) and York College (Neb.) at 11 a.m. Wednesday in an elimination game.
The game started in a pitcher's duel, with DWU throwing Great Plains Athletic Conference Pitcher-of-the-Year Joey Fitzgerald (Fairmont, Minn.) at the Spartans, who countered with Michael Yarborough. The game was scoreless heading into the top of the fifth inning. MBU broke the ice with a run on a wild pitch from Fitzgerald, while the Spartans stretched their lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth.
The Tiger bats broke through in the bottom of the sixth with consecutive doubles by sophomore Tyler Waddle (Huron, S.D.) and junior Neil Nagle (Oslo, Minn.). The double by Nagle scored two DWU runs to tie the score.
After Fitzgerald set the Spartans down in order in the seventh, the Tigers took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the frame. Senior Ben Ladner (Delray Beach, Fla.) doubled home sophomore Lakin Neugebauer (Mitchell, S.D.) and sophomore Chris Combs (Corvallis, Mont.).
The Spartans rallied quickly with four runs in the eighth inning, all scored against the DWU bullpen after Fitzgerald left the game.
The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning after two runners reached base on consecutive batters were hit by MBU flamethrower Marcus Crescentini. After a wild pitch put the runners at second and third for DWU, Crescentini struck out the final two batters to end the game. MBU moves on to play No. 1 Oklahoma City University at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The Tigers finished with eight hits and two errors, compared to nine hits and one error for the Spartans. The loss was charged to Tanner Swets, who pitched one third of an inning in relief. Fitzgerald went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits and struck out three. Ladner, Waddle and Nagle each finished with two hits for DWU.