Hastings, Nebraska — A record-breaking pitching performance by Defenders ace, Gyeongju Kim, led Dordt to a 3-1, extra-inning win in game one of a conference doubleheader against Hastings.
Dordt improves to 2-3 in the GPAC, 6-15 overall, heading into the second game against the host Broncos.
Kim (4-2) pitched the full 11 innings in earning in earning his team-leading fourth win of the season. The senior allowed three hits, one earned run and struck out a program record 21 Broncos hitters. Kim breaks one of the oldest records, set back in 1972, by Guy DeHaan when he recorded 15 strikeouts against Covenant.
Down 1-0 and heading into the top of the seventh, the Defenders sent the game into extra innings when Logan Cline was hit by pitch, stole second and came around to score on an RBI single by Chase Edwards.
Both teams went scoreless over the next three innings and until the top of the 11th, when Dordt pushed two runs across to go up 3-1. Cline led off the inning with a walk, stole second and scored the winning run after a double from Kaden Davis. A single by Luke November advanced Davis to third and he scored on a Dylan Stanley groundout.
Hastings scored its lone run in the third off an RBI groundout by Lane Harris that scored James Velasquez.
Kim retired the side in order in seven of the 11 innings
Kim retired the final 10 Broncos hitters of the game; Hastings last base-runner was on a walk in the eighth inning
Dordt’s offense totaled a season-high 16 hits, 14 singles and doubles by Davis and Anthony Rodriguez-Klinzing.
Luke November led the Defenders with four hits; Rodriguez-Klinzing added three and Aaron Eshelman went 2-for-5
Cline extended his current hit streak to 11 games and reached base three times
Logan Horne pitched six strong innings in leading the Defenders to a 5-2 win in game two and complete a sweep against Hastings this afternoon at Duncan Field in Hastings, Neb.
Dordt improves to 3-3 in the conference, 7-15 overall, and keep the Broncos winless in the GPAC (0-6, 4-18 overall).
Horne scattered seven hits and struck out four Broncos hitters in earning his first victory of the season. Diego Benitez pitched a scoreless seventh inning to record his first save of the season.
A two-run, fourth inning put the Defenders up for good and broke a 1-1 tie. Parker Hamann smacked a one-out triple, his first of the season, and JayYoun Kim followed with a walk. Aaron Eshelman then drove them both home with a two-run double to put Dordt in front 3-1.
Hastings answered with a run in the home half of the fourth on a leadoff double by Noah Miranda, who then came around to score on a groundout by James Velasquez.
Dordt plated two insurance runs across in the seventh to put the visitors up 5-2. Eshelman led off with a walk and came around to score on a triple by Logan Cline. Luke November then drove in Cline on the very next at-bat with a double.
Cline scored the game’s first run of the game as well when he led off with a single, stole second and came across home plate on a wild pitch.
“Outstanding start from Logan (Horne), who gave us a chance for our offense to get going,” stated Dordt Head Coach Nathan Bacon. “We came up with some timely hits in some clutch situations. We had a great day and it was good to see us play a complete doubleheader as a team and get two big wins in conference play.”
Four of the five Dordt hits went for extra-bases (2 doubles, 2 triples)
Defender hitters also drew five walks against Hastings pitchers
Logan Cline extended hit streak to 12 games, going 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI
Gates Johnson (0-3) allowed five hits, five earned runs in 6.2 innings
Camden Brichacek, Miranda and Velasquez all had two hits for Hastings
The Defenders will host Briar Cliff on Monday, March 28 for another conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 4pm.
