Baseball Sets Single Game Home Run Record; Wins Two

Baseball closed out the Wildcat Classic on Sunday with a pair of victories to improve to 9-1 on the season. Doane opened the day with a 13-4 win over Clarke (Iowa) and wrapped it up with a 4-3 walk-off win over Baker (Kan.).

Nearly half of the Tigers' hits in the first game of the day came via the long ball as Doane hit a school-record seven home runs. The team had 15 hits in the game with 10 extra base hits and scored in five of the seven innings.

Brayden Jones drove in the first run of the game with an RBI-double in the first inning. In the second inning, Doane plated six runs beginning with an RBI-double from Max Harris. Logan Amick followed with an RBI-single and Noah Winkelman hit a three-run home run. Jones capped the scoring in the inning with a solo home run.

In the third inning, Harris and Amick hit back-to-back home runs for a 9-0 lead. Clarke was able to get on the board in the fifth inning with a two-run home run. In the sixth inning, Joe Osborn and Jones each hit a solo home run for an 11-2 lead but Clark scored a run in the bottom of the frame on a wild pitch. Kelan Polard hit a pinch hit two-run home run in the seventh with Clarke's final run scoring on a ground out in the bottom of the inning.

Osborn and Jones had three hits and two runs scored apiece. Jones and Winkelman drove in three runs apiece with Amick, Harris, and Polard accounting for two RBI apiece.

Kyler Beekman started and went 5.0 innings. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Zach Schuchardt threw 1.0 inning and allowed one run on one hit with two strikeouts. Isaiah Miller threw the final inning, allowing one unearned run on one hit.

Against Baker, the majority of the scoring came late in the game. Doane scored the first run of the game in the third inning. Miller scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the inning for a 1-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, Baker started the inning with two strikeouts but a single and a walk setup a three-run home run to take a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Miller hit his first career home run with two outs to tie the game at 3-all.

The Wildcats were shut down in order in the top of the seventh. Doane opened the bottom of the inning with two outs but an error allowed Luke LaChance to reach base and extend the inning. Winkelman and Justin Nevells each worked the count full, three balls and two strikes, before taking ball four to earn a walk. The two walks loaded the bases for Miller. He also worked the count full and was able to draw a walk to bring in LaChance for the walk-off victory.

The Tigers were limited to four hits in the game but drew nine walks. Miller came in as a pinch runner and stayed in the game, going 1-for-2 with a run scored and three driven in. LaChance scored two runs for the Tigers. Amick had two of the four hits, both doubles, and Ben Grigsby had a double as all Doane hits were extra base hits.

On the day, 14 of the team's 19 hits were extra base hits with six doubles and eight home runs.

Broc Songster started for the Tigers and went 2.2 innings, allowing one hit and walking six with four strikeouts. Ethan Merk threw 2.1 innings, allowing two hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Haldon Craig threw the final 2.0 innings, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk while striking out four. He picked up the win (1-0) out of the bullpen.

Next up for the Tigers will be a trip to St. Louis, Mo., on March 1 to take on NAIA No. 10 Missouri Baptist. It will mark the first meeting between the two programs who will play four games over the next two weeks.