Tigers Split in Missouri
The baseball team returned to action nearly a month after their opening series as they headed to Joplin, Missouri. The Tigers faced Clarke University and Viterbo University on Saturday with two more games scheduled for Sunday. Doane defeated Clarke in the opener before losing a lead against Viterbo.
Game One
Clarke scored first but Doane used three runs in the middle innings to post a 3-2 victory.
The Crusaders opened the game with a double off of Tiger starter Nathan Roth (SR, Camarillo, Calif.). Clarke used a sacrifice bunt and a Doane error to plate their first run to take a 1-0 lead after the top of the 1st inning.
Doane started to mount momentum in the third with back-to-back base hits, their first of the game. In the fourth, Alex Arkfeld (JR, Gretna, Neb.) opened with a single and moved up to 2nd base on a single by Nick Studer (JR, Toronto, Canada). With one out, Dylan Matthews (SO, Lincoln, Neb.) singled down the left field line to plate Arkfeld. A double play ended the Tiger threat.
In the top of the 5th, Clarke retook the lead with a lead-off home run. Doane responded in the bottom of the inning with a one-out double by Ethan Schroeder (SR, Papillion, Neb.) and a single by Kevin Clausen (FR, Torrance, Calif.). A double play once again ended the Tigers' inning.
The Tigers took their first lead in the sixth. Nick Studer hit a one-out double down the right field line and following a walk, an error allowed Seth Henry (FR, San Antonio, Texas) to score after entering to run for Studer.
Roth shut down the Crusaders in the seventh to finish off with a complete game. He held Clarke to three hits while striking out seven batters. Roth moved to 1-1 on the season.
At the plate, Doane picked up eight hits with three batters having two apiece. Schroeder, Clausen and Studer each finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a double.
Game Two
The Tigers jumped out to a 6-2 lead but were unable to hold on as they fell 9-7 to Viterbo University. Doane committed four errors in the game.
Doane opened the game with two runs in the 1st inning. Following an out to open the game, Clausen singled followed by a double by Andres Rivera (JR, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico). Arkfeld singled down the right field line to plate both base runners.
The V-Hawks came back to tie the game with two runs in the bottom of the first on three hits. They left the bases loaded as Tiger starter Brandon Stennis (JR, Omaha, Neb.) got a fly ball to end the inning.
The Tigers plated four runs in the second inning to retake the lead, 6-2. With one out, Jed Derr (JR, Gretna, Neb.) singled and eventually moved to third base on a failed pickoff attempt. He scored on a double by Jake Smith (FR, San Marcos, Calif.). Matt Cuellar (JR, Stansbury, Utah) followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Zach Kurera ran for Cuellar and stole second to put two runners in scoring position for Schroeder. Schroeder plated both runs with a double to left field. With two outs and following a Rivera single, Arkfeld singled in Schroeder for the final run of the inning.
Viterbo came right back with two runs in the bottom of the second on two hits. The big hit was a two-run double following a double and a walk to open the inning. Stennis got out of the inning with a fly out and two ground outs.
After Doane left the bases loaded in the top of the 3rd, Viterbo came back with a two-out rally to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. After the first two outs were recorded, the V-Hawks used three hits and a Tiger error to score their runs.
The Tigers put a runner at third with one out in the fourth but was unable to score as momentum remained with the V-Hawks. They came back with a run in the bottom of the fourth as Doane committed two errors to take a 7-6 lead. Viterbo added single runs in the fifth and sixth, scoring in each inning of the game.
Doane picked up their final run in the sixth. Arkfeld plated Clausen with a RBI-single.
Stennis took a no-decision, throwing 2.2 innings and allowing five earned runs on eight hits. Jacob McCord (SR, Bennington, Neb.) took the loss, allowing one earned run on two hits in two innings of work. Nabo Martinez and Rolando Celis (SR, Wiggins, Colo.) each threw 0.2 innings. Doane allowed three unearned runs in the game.
The Tigers posted 15 hits as Derr went 3-for-3 and Arkfeld was 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Rivera also went 3-for-4 and recorded two stolen bases.