Baseball Tops Clarke Behind Two Home Runs

CRETE, Neb. — Doane University baseball used a three-run fourth inning and a complete-game effort from senior right-hander Kaden Crawford to earn a 6-3 win over Clarke (Iowa) in game one of Thursday's doubleheader at the Doane Ballfield Complex.

Doane (8-2) jumped in front immediately when Carter Roth opened the bottom of the first with a triple and scored on Sam Kwapnioski's sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. The Tigers added another run in the inning as Johnny Vulcano singled and later came home on Grant Sommers' RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

Clarke (3-8) trimmed the margin to 2-1 in the second on an RBI double from Hunter Flores, but Doane answered right back. Jett Grossart led off the bottom of the second with a solo homer to right, extending the advantage to 3-1.

The game swung in Doane's favor in the fourth. After a leadoff single by Brayden Jones, the Tigers took advantage of a Clarke error to keep the inning alive before Jordan Bond launched a three-run home run to left, pushing the lead to 6-1.

Clarke got one back in the fifth on a solo home run by Bryn Vantiger and added a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly, but Crawford worked out of trouble to finish off the win.

Crawford (4-0) went the distance, allowing three runs (three earned) on seven hits, walking three and striking out seven across seven innings. Roth finished 2-for-4 with two runs, while Vulcano went 2-for-3 and scored once. Sommers added an RBI single and a stolen base, and Grossart and Bond each homered as part of Doane's nine-hit day.

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