VIDEO: Jack Hirchert Grand Slam
LINCOLN, Neb. – A pinch-hit grand slam delivered by Jack Hirchert completed a comeback from five runs down in game one as Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball split Friday (March 20) afternoon’s doubleheader with No. 23 Doane. The Bulldogs held onto the series opener, 9-8, before coming up short in game two, 6-2, in action that took place at Sherman Field in Lincoln, Neb. The matchup is a heavyweight clash between programs with a combined 12 GPAC championships (regular season/postseason) since the start of the 2019 season.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad stands at 16-10 overall (4-2 GPAC) halfway through the four-game set with the rival Tigers.
“I thought the first game, offensively, was good,” Dupic said. “Alex (Johnson) did a nice job settling in. They got to him early, but he was able to go deep, which was good not only for that game but for the series. Offensively, the guys were excellent and really battled and put together some good at bats. Of course, Jack had a really big swing there late. Just pleased with the guys coming back. We were down 6-1. To come back and get eight unanswered runs was a pretty good job by our offense.”
The gaudy offensive production in game one wasn’t necessarily expected considering the pitching matchup of Johnson versus Doane’s Kaden Crawford. The Tigers managed to find holes when they were able to put the ball in play and built a 6-1 lead midway through the third inning. A Carson Burnett two-run double punctuated Concordia’s four-run third that cut the deficit to 6-5.
Two innings later, with the bags full, Dupic pushed the right button when he inserted Hirchert into the game. The junior from Madison, Miss., sent a 1-1 pitch from reliever Ethan Merk over the wall in right center (Hirchert’s fourth homer of the season). The Bulldogs led, 9-6, at the time. Both Burnett and Luke Wilson notched two hits and Andrew Fetty drove in two runs in game one.
Johnson covered 6.1 innings with eight runs allowed on 10 hits. However, he threw the ball better than his line would indicate. The grad student from Olathe, Kan., finished with nine strikeouts (moving him to No. 2 on the program’s all-time K’s list with 256). In the seventh, Doane put two runs on the board to creep within a run before closer DJ Andersen got Jordan Bond to fly out to left to end the game.
In game two, Concordia hurler Caden Bugarske flashed impressive stuff while striking out eight hitters in 5.1 innings. He allowed just one run on three hits and three walks. The Bulldogs trailed just 1-0 after six innings and 2-0 after eight before the Tigers cushioned their lead with Tanner Nelson’s ninth-inning grand slam. Nelson amassed 10 RBIs while going 5-for-7 on the day. Doane also got a gem of a pitching performance from Nicolas Yard, who surrendered a single run in eight innings (eight strikeouts).
Offensively, Concordia collected 16 hits on the day. Burnett and Wilson paced the attack with three knocks apiece on Friday. Both of Jake Watson’s hits went for doubles.
NAIA Ball dubbed the Concordia-Doane matchup as its Big Series of the Week. Both teams will know a little bit more about themselves by the end of Saturday’s action. The Tigers (17-6, 4-2 GPAC) are ranked 13th nationally by NAIA Ball.
Said Dupic of playing Doane, “I’m focused on us doing the best we can this weekend. I think we’re still a little bit of an evolving team right now. We have to get a little healthier and get some guys back. Things change a lot throughout the spring … It’s always fun to play Doane. I really respect them. It’s just a good, competitive series every time. We’re going to get better from it.”
The Concordia-Doane series will continue on Saturday when the two sides meet at Doane Ballfield Complex in Crete. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs won three of last season’s four games with the Tigers in Crete.