Hugo Santos
Junior Narumi Okayasu prepares his swing in hopes of getting a hit. Okayasu currently has a .355 batting average.
The baseball series commenced on a sunny Friday afternoon in Crete, as Doane faced off against Jamestown, notching two victories for the day. The Tigers dominated the opener with a commanding 12-0 win and secured a tense 2-1 victory in the final match.
Doane set the tone early, scoring in the bottom of the first inning with senior Joe Osborn’s sixth home run of the season, taking a 1-0 lead. The Tigers broke the game open in the fourth inning, adding five runs, highlighted by senior Nate Mensik’s pivotal three-run triple. Doane extended their lead with six runs in the sixth inning, courtesy of RBI singles from senior Ben Grigsby, junior Logan Amick and freshman Taiyo Takahashi, along with an RBI double from Osborn.
Senior pitcher Aaron Forrest (6-0) delivered an exceptional performance, throwing six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and two walks while striking out eight. Junior Zach Schuchardt closed out the game, conceding just one hit.
Offensively, Doane amassed 11 hits, with Osborn leading the charge, going 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Takahashi and Grigsby contributed two hits each. Mensik and junior Justin Nevells also made significant contributions, scoring two runs each, with Mensik leading the team with four RBIs.
In the second game, pitching prowess took center stage as Jamestown’s Cade Torgerson faced off against sophomore Kaden Crawford. Both teams struggled to score, with Doane securing their two runs in the bottom of the third inning, while the Jimmies managed a lone run in the top of the fourth. Junior Dionysius Chialtas drove in Nevells with a double in the third inning, followed by an RBI single from Amick. Jamestown responded with an RBI double in the fourth inning to narrow the gap.
Chialtas showcased his defensive expertise with crucial plays, including throwing out a runner at third and another attempting to steal second base. In the fifth inning, Nevells made a spectacular defensive play at third base, denying Jamestown a potential hit.
Crawford pitched six innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks while striking out five, earning his third win of the season. Freshman Ethan Merk closed out the game with three hitless innings, securing his second save of the year. Despite limited offense, Doane managed five hits, with Nevells and Chialtas leading the charge with two hits each.
The Doane baseball team concluded their four-game series against Jamestown on Saturday, experiencing a setback in the opener with a 10-1 loss, but they rallied back to claim a decisive 7-3 victory in the final matchup. Despite dropping one game, Doane emerged victorious in the series, securing three out of the four contests held in Crete.
In the first game, Jamestown’s junior Avery Liestman limited Doane to five hits while striking out seven. The Tigers managed to score their lone run in the fifth inning, courtesy of an Osborn double that brought junior Narumi Okayasu home. Together, Osborn and Okayasu went 4-for-5 in the game for the Tigers.
Senior Kellan Voggesser started on the mound for the Tigers, yielding five runs on four hits and three walks over 3.2 innings. Junior Raidyn Steele followed, conceding four runs on four hits and three walks across two innings. Sophomore Jake King contributed 1.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one.
In the second game, Jamestown grabbed an early lead with two runs in the top of the first inning. Doane responded in the bottom half, reducing the deficit to one run on freshman Brayden Jones’ RBI single to bring Osborn home. The Tigers then leveled the score in the second inning with an RBI groundout by junior Aaron Vulcano.
Jamestown surged ahead again in the fifth inning, but Doane’s Vulcano prevented further damage with a defensive gem, robbing a potential grand slam home run with a sacrifice fly. Doane retaliated in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game on an RBI double from Osborn. The Tigers seized the lead on a wild pitch that allowed Okayasu to score, followed by Mensik’s second three-run triple of the weekend, propelling Doane to a 7-3 lead. The Tigers concluded the game with eight hits from eight different players, with Osborn scoring two runs and Mensik leading the charge with three RBIs.
On the pitching front, freshman Broc Songster started strong, going four innings without allowing a hit but giving up two runs on five walks while striking out five. Senior Kyler Beekman took over for the final five innings, surrendering one unearned run on two hits while striking out six.
Up next for the Tigers is a matchup against No. 17 Concordia, with both teams aiming to finally complete their doubleheader after previous postponements due to weather and field conditions. The game is scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, with the first pitch set for 2 p.m. in Seward.
