Top-Seed Taylor Eliminates Baseball from NAIA World Series

LEWISTON, Idaho - Doane Baseball's historic postseason run came down to the final innings Saturday afternoon, but a furious comeback effort fell just short as the Tigers were eliminated from the Avista NAIA World Series with a 10-8 loss to top-seeded Taylor (Ind.) at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho. The defeat closed a record-setting season for Doane at 47-11 after the program's first-ever trip to the national championship final site.

Taylor (53-6), the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, survived a dramatic late push from the Tigers after building an early six-run advantage. Doane erased an 8-3 deficit in the eighth inning, scoring five runs and briefly tying the contest before Taylor answered in the bottom half to advance in the elimination bracket.

The Tigers struck first in the opening inning as Carter Roth doubled to left-center and later scored on Tanner Nelson's sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. Roth's double was his 21st of the season, tying the single-season record. Taylor answered immediately, however, before taking control with a five-run second inning highlighted by Quinn Kunkel's two-run pinch-hit single and Ben Kennedy's three-run home run to right-center, giving the Trojans a 6-1 cushion.

Kennedy added an RBI double in the third inning and Taylor pushed another run across in the fourth to extend its lead to 8-2. Doane chipped away behind solo power from Jett Grossart, who launched a home run down the right-field line in the fourth inning, and an RBI single from Brayden Jones in the sixth to make it 8-3.

The Tigers saved their biggest swing for the eighth.

After Tanner Nelson singled to center and Thaden Wewel entered as a courtesy runner, Jones started the rally with an RBI single. Johnny Vulcano followed with a base hit and Sam Kwapnioski brought home another run with a single through the right side to cut the margin to 8-5. Moments later, Jordan Bond delivered the biggest hit of the afternoon, blasting a three-run homer to left field that tied the score at 8-8 and brought the Doane dugout to life.

Taylor answered immediately in the bottom of the inning. Kennedy reached after being hit by a pitch and Jordan Malott lined an RBI double down the left-field line to reclaim the lead. A wild pitch later in the frame allowed another run to score, pushing the Trojans back in front 10-8. Doane brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Taylor closed the door to secure the victory.

Doane outhit Taylor 14-10 in the contest and placed multiple runners on base throughout the afternoon. Roth paced the Tigers with three hits, running his season total to an NAIA-leading 111 hits, while Jones finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Bond went 2-for-4 with a game-tying home run and three RBI, Grossart homered and drove in one, and Johnny Vulcano added two hits. Nelson and Kwapnioski also recorded RBI in the loss.

On the mound, Gabe Rodriguez made the start before Kaden Crawford, Josh Kearney, Ethen Roberts and Garrett Klein combined in relief. Roberts took the loss after working 4.1 innings and striking out four.

Though the Tigers' postseason journey ended one win shy of staying alive, Doane leaves Lewiston after making program history with its first appearance at the Avista NAIA World Series and a season that included GPAC regular-season and tournament championships, an NAIA Opening Round title at Sherman Field, and a memorable run onto the national stage. 

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