Baseball Drops NAIA World Series Opener

LEWISTON, Idaho - No. 4-seeded Doane opened play at the Avista NAIA Baseball World Series with a setback on Friday morning, falling 7-3 to No. 7-seeded Mid-America Christian at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho. The Tigers moved to 47-10 on the season and will continue play in the elimination bracket.

Doane struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Max Harris opened the frame with a single and later scored on a Carter Roth RBI double to right-center, giving the Tigers a 1-0 advantage. Roth paced the Doane offense with a 3-for-5 day, scoring once and driving in a run, while Harris finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Mid-America Christian answered in the fourth inning, using back-to-back solo home runs from Cole Krepcik and Frankie Giacalone to erase the deficit before adding two more runs in the frame to build a 4-1 lead. An RBI sacrifice bunt from Elijah Lee and an unearned run following a throwing error extended the Evangels' advantage.

The Tigers battled back in the fifth. Roth singled and Grant Sommers worked a walk before Tanner Nelson lined an RBI single down the right-field line to score Roth. Moments later, Jett Grossart brought home Sommers with an RBI single to third base, trimming the deficit to 4-3. Grossart finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Nelson added an RBI hit in four at-bats.

Mid-America Christian created separation in the seventh inning, capitalizing on a pair of walks and timely hitting. Lee delivered a two-run single to right-center and the Evangels added another unearned run after a Doane error to push the margin to 7-3.

Broc Songster made the first NAIA World Series start for the Tigers, allowing four runs (three earned) across 3.1 innings while striking out four. Cade Bridges followed with 3.1 innings of relief, and Ethan Merk closed the final 2.1 innings, striking out three and allowing just one hit.

Doane totaled nine hits in the contest, with Roth, Grossart, and Harris accounting for seven of them. Mid-America Christian finished with 11 hits and was led by Krepcik, who went 5-for-5 with a home run and an RBI.

The Tigers will continue play in the elimination bracket at the Avista NAIA Baseball World Series, taking on top-seeded Taylor on Saturday afternoon.

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