[Baseball] Baseball Takes Split Against Mustangs

Doane Baseball returned home for the first time in two weeks as they hosted Morningside on Saturday. The Mustangs rallied late in game one to take the opener, 8-7, with Doane rallying in game two to earn the split with a 5-2 win. The Tigers closed out the weekend with a 3-1 record and increased their lead in the conference to four games with eight to play.

In game one, Morningside took an early 2-0 lead before Doane came back with three runs in the 3rd inning. The Tigers tied the game on one swing of the bat from Joe Osborn (SO/Hickman, Neb.) as he delivered his 17th home run of the season, breaking the single-season record set last year. Lukas White (JR/Castaic, Calif.) followed with a home run of his own to put the Tigers in front, 3-2.

Morningside tied the game in the 4th inning with a run scoring on a wild pitch. Doane regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Brett Meyer (SO/Seward, Neb.) picked up an RBI-single and would score on a single by Osborn. Jack Tillman (JR/Omaha, Neb.) added an RBI-double to plate Osborn. In the 5th inning, Meyer tripled to bring in Tanner Black (SO/Elkhorn, Neb.) for a 7-3 lead.

The Mustangs scored five runs in the 6th inning to take back the lead. Jacob O'Dell delivered a go-ahead two-run double for the winning hit.

Travis Cowan (SR/Lakewood, Colo.) started for Doane and went 4.0 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with three strikeouts. In the 1st inning, Cowan recorded his first strikeout of the game to reach a milestone of 200 career strikeouts. He is only the third pitcher to reach that mark in program history.

Jackson Stensgard (JR/Maricopa, Ariz.) added 1.1 innings, allowing three runs on two hits and Jake Johnson (SO/Chandler, Ariz.) threw 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.

Doane finished the game with 12 hits offensively. Osborn was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three driven in. Meyer was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs driven in.

Game two started just as the first one did with Morningside jumping out to an early 2-0 lead. Doane came back to tie the game in the 4th inning with two runs crossing the plate.

Justin Nevells (FR/Chugiak, Alaska) tied the game for the Tigers with a bases loaded single to left field to plate two runs. The Tigers would take the lead in the 7th inning with three runs scoring. Doane took the lead as Andy Theiler (SR/Arlington, Neb.) delivered a sacrifice fly to plate James Griess (FR/Sutton, Neb.).

An error on the Morningside infield would bring Meyer around to score. Mensik capped the scoring with a double to drive in Osborn. The Mustangs threatened in the 9th inning as they loaded the bases. Thaniel Trumper (SO/Fort Collins, Colo.) came out of the bullpen and struck out the only batter he faced to end the game.

Trumper collected his third save of the season while Kyler Beekman (SO/Elkhorn, Neb.) improved to 4-0. Beekman also came out of the pen, throwing 3.2 innings. He allowed two hits and struck out four during the scoreless outing. Aaron Forrest (SO/Peoria, Ariz.) started for the Tigers and went 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out six.

At the plate, Doane finished the game with nine hits. Theiler was 2-for-4 with a run driven in while Mensik was also 2-for-4 with a run scored and one driven in.