The Dordt Defenders earned a split of their doubleheader against the Saint Mary Spires on Saturday, February 7. Dordt is now 3-1 and will play at McPherson, Kansas on Friday and Saturday, February 13 and 14 against Central Christian (Kansas) and Valley City State (North Dakota). Dordt won the opener 5-0 and lost the last game of the series 10-6.
GAME 1
Box Score (PDF)
After a quiet start, the Dordt offense ignited in the third inning.
Logan Harris sparked the rally with a double, followed by a
Ryan Vann hit-by-pitch and a
Drew Oreskes single to load the bases.
Logan Templeton then drove in the game's first run with an RBI single to center.
Joseph Schlesselman extended the lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to center field, and Oreskes eventually crossed the plate on a Saint Mary throwing error to make it 3-0.
The Defenders added insurance in the fifth when
Gabriel McFarland lofted another sacrifice fly to score Templeton. In the sixth, Vann reached on a single and swiped second before Templeton drove him home with a clutch RBI single to right field to cap the scoring.
Defensively, the Defenders were anchored by a stellar combined shutout from
Matthew Eubanks and
Rylan Boe. Eubanks faced his biggest test in the third inning when Saint Mary put two runners on with one out, but the defense locked down as
Stephen Dillender, Vann, and Templeton turned a l 3-6-3 double play to end the threat. In the fifth, the Spires threatened again by loading the bases with two outs via a single and two walks. However, Eubanks induced a fielder's choice to third base to escape the jam unscathed. Boe took over in the sixth and slammed the door, striking out four batters over two innings to preserve the shutout.
Team Comparison
- Runs: Dordt 5 | Saint Mary 0
- Hits: Dordt 10 | Saint Mary 3
- Errors: Dordt 2 | Saint Mary 2
- Runners Left on Base: Dordt 10 | Saint Mary 7
Dordt Offensive Leaders
- LoganTempleton: 3-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 Run, 1 BB
- Logan Harris: 2-for-4, 1 Double, 1 Run
- Jaden Schlessel: 1-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 Double, 1 BB
- Ryan Vann: 1-for-2, 2 Runs, 2 HBP, 1 Stolen Base
- Drew Oreskes: 1-for-4, 1 Run
Dordt Pitching Leaders
GAME 2
Box Score (PDF)
The Dordt Defenders fought through a high-scoring battle in game two on Saturday in Leavenworth but ultimately fell 10-6 to Saint Mary. Saint Mary took an initial 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Dordt answered in the third when
Joseph Schlesselman lifted a sacrifice fly to score
Cade Williams. The Defenders then took a brief 3-2 lead in the fourth inning.
Gabriel McFarland tied the game with an RBI single scoring
Logan Templeton, and
Logan Harris later reached on an error that allowed both Williams and McFarland to cross the plate.
The Spires responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth and four more in the fifth to pull away. Dordt attempted a late rally in the sixth, using sacrifice flies from Harris and Oreskes to bring the score to 10-5, but they could only add one more hit in a scoreless seventh.
Defensively, the Defenders worked out of several situations to keep the game close. In the third inning, with two Spires on base, the defense executed a double play to stop the threat. In the bottom of the sixth, reliever
Parker Wilson showcased incredible poise by striking out the side with the bases loaded to prevent any further damage and keep the deficit at four.
THE NUMBERS
Team Comparison
- Runs: Saint Mary 10 | Dordt 6
- Hits: Saint Mary 10 | Dordt 5
- Errors: Dordt 0 | Saint Mary 1
- Runners Left on Base: Saint Mary 14 | Dordt 9
Dordt Offensive Leaders
- Logan Templeton: 1-for-3, 1 Run, 1 BB
- Drew Oreskes: 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 Double
- Gabriel McFarland: 2-for-2, 1 RBI, 2 Runs, 1 BB
- Logan Harris: 0-for-3, 3 RBI, 1 Sacrifice Fly
- Joseph Schlesselma: 0-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 Sacrifice Fly
Dordt Pitching Leaders
