Doane started Spring Break with hot bats as the Tigers defeated Purdue University-North Central, 22-15. The Tigers opened with an 18-0 lead through the top of the fifth inning before PUNC gave Doane a push down the stretch.Doane started Spring Break with hot bats as the Tigers defeated Purdue University-North Central, 22-15. The Tigers opened with an 18-0 lead through the top of the fifth inning before PUNC gave Doane a push down the stretch.
After a scoreless first inning, Doane put up six runs in the second inning. Doane used six hits in the inning and the big blow came off the bat of Mike Albert as he hit a bases clearing double to go ahead 4-0. With two outs in the inning, Anthony Hincy and Blake Snow delivered back-to-back doubles to add two more runs for the Tigers.
In the third inning, Doane added six more runs on four hits. The Tigers plated three runs on a costly error in left field in the inning.
Crooked numbers were on the board once again in the fourth as Doane scored three runs. Dylan Flott doubled with one out and following a pair of walks that loaded the bases, Hincy hit a sacrifice fly. Snow hit a two-out triple to bring in Albert and Luke Henderson to extend the lead to 15-0.
The Tigers added three runs in the fifth. Abe Potts hit a sacrifice fly and Flott and AJ Spanel drew bases loaded walks to score runs for Doane.
Doane starting pitcher Jacob Cathey was removed after four innings of work as he was held to a pitch count in the game. He allowed just two batters to reach base, both on hit by pitches, and faced only one batter over the minimum. Through four no-hit innings, Cathey struck out two.
Purdue-North Central was able to get to the Tigers through the bullpen. The Panthers scored 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings, combined, to climb back into the game.
Doane scored a run in the seventh on a Derin Benson double. PUNC added two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 19-12.
In the eighth, the Tigers started the inning with a pair of walks. Following a strikeout, Anthony Dunn tripled to score two runs. Dunn came in to score on a wild pitch.
Purdue-North Central responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to seven runs, 22-15. In the bottom of the ninth, the Panthers put two runners in scoring position with no outs and had a 2-1 count on Jeff Gaston, the No. 3 hitter in the line-up.
Zach Klene was brought in from the bullpen and preceded to strike out Gaston and clean-up hitter Stephan Ames. The final batter popped out to shortstop to end the game. Klene recorded one inning of scoreless work.
Doane finished the game with 20 hits as seven players had at least two hits. Josh Reed and Dean Henson led the way with three hits apiece. Albert and Snow posted three RBIs each and Henson posted four runs. Albert, Reed and Flott scored three runs apiece.