Sioux Center, Iowa — The Dordt University baseball team pushed their win streak to three games in defeating Briar Cliff 8-1 in game one of a GPAC doubleheader played Monday night at Open Space Park.
Diego Benitez (2-3) pitched a complete-game gem for the Defenders and kept the Briar Cliff hitters off balance, mixing up a strong fastball coupled with an effective breaking ball. Benitez allowed two hits, both singles, walked four and struck out seven in an 105-pitch effort.
Briar Cliff opened the scoring with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Cam Riemer reached base with an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a Dordt error. He scored on a throw down to first base after a strikeout by Jake Allen.
Dordt responded with a four-spot in the home half of the first, scoring four runs on one hit, three walks and a Briar Cliff error. Luke November singled and courtesy runner, Parker Hamann, advanced to second off a BCU error on a ball hit by Chase Edwards. Three consecutive walks to Anthony Klinzing, Dylan Stanley and Jaeyoun Kim, along with two passed balls, put the Defenders up 4-1.
Dordt added to its lead with a two-run second inning. Nolan Christianson led off with a single, advanced to third on a double by Logan Cline and both players scored after a two-run single by November.
The Defenders closed out the scoring when Cade Hollingsworth lined a two-run home run to centerfield, scoring Stanley, with one out in the fifth.
Dordt totaled eight hits; Luke November was the lone Defender with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs
Cade Hollingsworth hit his first home run of the season
Logan Cline extended his hit streak to 13 games with a double in the second inning; the senior has now hit safely in 21 of 23 games
Benitez earned his second win and pitched his second complete game of the season
Chargers’ starter, Rylan Aamold (2-2), took the loss, giving up six hits and two earned runs in two-plus innings
Cam Riemer and Matthew Hmielewski had singles for the Chargers
An eight-run, fifth-inning by Briar Cliff proved to be the difference in the Defenders 9-7 loss to the Chargers in game two of a GPAC doubleheader played Monday at Open Space Park in Sioux Center, Iowa.
With Dordt leading 6-1, Briar Cliff sent 12 batters to the plate in its eight-run, fifth inning, all on five hits, a walk, a hit batsman and two Defender errors. Connor Lange and Dawson Forcella hit RBI singles while Mike Anthony added a two-run double for the Chargers. Lange also reached base off a Defender error which led to three additional runs.
Dordt came back with one run in the bottom of the seventh when Dylan Stanley doubled and later scored off a sacrifice fly hit by Cade Hollingsworth. With a runner at first and the tying run at the plate, Aaron Eshelman lined out to Chargers pitcher Austin Carter to end the game.
Briar Cliff grabbed a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Walter Hunt scored Cam Riemer from second in the top of the first.
Dordt tied the score with an unearned run in the second after a walk by Anthony Klinzing followed by a BCU error. The Defenders best inning was the third where they plated three runs on four hits. Both Chase Edwards and Eshelman hit run-scoring doubles and Stanley added an RBI single.
Another RBI single by Luke November, scoring Logan Cline, put the Defenders in front 6-1 after four innings.
Dordt outhit the Chargers 8-6, led by Stanley (2/4), who was the lone Defender with multiple hits
Eshelman went 1/4 with three RBIs
Nick Yeager allowed four hits, four earned runs and struck out nine to earn the no-decision
Michael Ohlin pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief
The Defenders committed five errors; BCU totaled four
Austin Carter (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, giving up four hits and two runs in the final 4.1 innings
Hunt led the Chargers offense with two hits and Lange drove in four runs
The Defenders will head to Crete, Neb. for an afternoon doubleheader against first place Doane on Friday, April 1.
