Baseball Takes Game One from Benedictine

ATCHISON, Kan. — Doane used power, patience and a strong start from Gabe Rodriguez to take control early and roll past Benedictine (Kan.) 10-2 in the first game of a nonconference doubleheader on Sunday at Olsen Stadium.

The Tigers improved to 14-3 with the win after piling up 11 hits, drawing 10 walks and striking for four runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh.

Rodriguez set the tone on the mound, tossing six scoreless innings to earn the win. The right-hander allowed three hits, walked three and struck out five before handing the ball to Josh Kearney for the final inning. Benedictine scored both of its runs in the seventh on a two-run homer by Korey Messick.

Doane grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Carter Roth singled, stole second and moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on a Benedictine error.

The Tigers added another run in the second when Jett Grossart walked, stole second, moved to third on a balk and came home on Brayden Jones' RBI single to left.

Doane threatened again in the third but left two runners aboard. The Tigers broke through once more in the fifth when Jordan Bond singled, Thaden Wewel and Jones each worked walks, and Adam Vulcano forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk for a 3-0 advantage.

The game turned decisively in the sixth. Sam Kwapnioski led off the inning with a solo home run to left, and later in the frame Jones delivered the biggest swing of the day with a bases-clearing double to left-center that scored Bond, Grossart and Wewel to make it 7-0.

Doane kept the pressure on in the seventh. Grant Sommers singled, Kwapnioski walked, and after a wild pitch moved both runners up, Tanner Nelson lifted a sacrifice fly to right. Two batters later, Grossart launched a two-run homer to right-center to stretch the lead to 10-0.

Benedictine broke up the shutout in the bottom of the seventh when Messick hit a two-run homer.

Kwapnioski and Grossart each homered for the Tigers, while Jones finished 2-for-2 with a double, four RBIs and two walks. Grossart scored three times, drove in two runs, walked twice and stole a base. Kwapnioski went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and an RBI. Roth and Bond added two hits apiece.

Jones' three-run double in the sixth gave Doane needed separation, and the Tigers' disciplined approach at the plate helped wear down Benedictine pitching. Doane finished 5-for-20 with runners on base and 4-for-14 with RBI opportunities while taking advantage of 10 free passes.

Benedictine starter Parrish Beagle took the loss after allowing two runs, one earned, over four innings. Lance Bolles and Nolan Haas combined to surrender eight runs over the final three innings.

Doane did not commit an error in the field and limited Benedictine to four hits.

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