Vargas Throws Gem to Record Team's 43rd Win of Baseball Season

Doane Baseball used strong pitching and late inning dramatics as they picked up a 3-2 win over Grand View in the NAIA Opening Round tournament on Tuesday afternoon in Bellevue. The victory was the 43rd on the season, a new school record. The win also sends the Tigers into a Wednesday contest with their opponent to be determined.

Julian Vargas started on the hill for the Tigers and opened the game with three hitless innings. He ran into trouble in the fourth inning following a leadoff walk and a double that gave Grand View two runners on with no outs. Following a single through the infield to plate one run, he was able to retire the next three batters with one final run crossing the plate for a 2-0 Vikings lead after four innings.

Doane was able to get a run back in the top of the fifth following a leadoff walk by Ben Grigsby. With Tanner Black as the courtesy runner, he was moved up to second base and with two outs, Nate Mensik doubled to plate the run and cut the deficit in half.

The Tigers picked up another key two-out hit in the seventh inning to tie the game. Joe Osborn was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second base. Following an error and a strikeout, Luke LaChance delivered a single to score Osborn and tie the game.

In the bottom of the seventh, Grand View opened with a single and bunted the runner to second base. With one out, the Vikings picked up a single to center field and attempted to score the go-ahead run but Brett Meyer threw a strike to home plate and Grigsby applied the tag for the second out. Vargas struckout the next batter to end the inning and the Tigers took the momentum into the eighth inning.

Narumi Okayasu led off the next inning and immediately put the Tigers in front with a solo home run into the breeze blowing in from right field. Vargas shut down the Vikings in the eighth with two deep flyouts and a strikeout.

In the ninth, Doane went down in order in the top of the frame. Vargas started the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout, which was followed by a pop out to Okayasu. With two outs, Vargas induced a ground ball to third base and the throw over was in time to claim the victory.

Vargas picked up his first complete game of the season, going 9.0 innings and allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out 11 batters to tie his season-high total. He accomplished the feat on 116 pitches.

Doane had eight hits in the game, two from Mensik and two from Cristian Yanez. Mensik's two hits were doubles. Lukas White added a double in the third inning for his 21st of the season, tying the single-season school record set by Joe Kellerby in 1998.

The Tigers will take the field again on Wednesday at 12 PM (noon) against either Bellevue or Oklahoma City.