NWU Splits With Dakota Wesleyan To Earn First GPAC Win

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March 31, 2012

Nebraska Wesleyan opened the 2012 Great Plains Athletic Conference reguar season with a doubleheader split with Dakota Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon (Mar. 31) at NWU Field in Lincoln. DWU won game one, 7-5, then the Prairie Wolves took the second game 14-7.

In the opener, DWU scored one run in the first for the only run for either team until the fourth.

The Tigers added two unearned runs in the top of the fourth to go up 3-0. DWU got another unearned run in the fifth to extend the lead to 4-0.

NWU finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Pete Sitorious and Beau Kelly had two straight singles and John Kingston drove in a run on a single of his own.

In the sixth, Alex Heideman led off the inning with a triple then scored on a ground out by Josh Ostrom to make the score 4-2.

Dakota Wesleyan scored three runs in the top of the seventh as they knocked out NWU starter Justin Van Dyke.

The Prairie Wolves did not give up as they loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Tanner Lewis singled to drive in Chris Johnson, then Heideman singled to left to bring in Griffin DePriest. A line out sacrifice by Ostrom plated Kingston, but the rally was ended with the tying run on first base.

Ethan Opsahl got the complete game win for DWU. Sitorius was 3-3 for NWU at the plate, while Heideman was 2-3 with a triple and RBI.

Game two began as a slugfest with DWU getting three runs in the first with a home run. NWU came back in the bottom of the first and scored two on a 2-run HR by Heideman.

The Tigers got another home run in the second to go ahead 5-2. NWU once again pulled within one run as they scored two runs in the bottom of the second.

Mike Lovgren came in to pitch for NWU and recorded four straight scoreless innings.

NWU got hot at the plate as they finished with 16 total hits. All nine players in the NWU lineup recorded a hit.

Kingston was 3-5 with four RBI, Heideman was 2-3 with a home run and double, while Zach Munford was a perfect 4-4.

Nebraska Wesleyan is right back in action on Sunday facing Briar Cliff in a doubleheader.