Baseball Opens Season With Doubleheader Against Doane

McPherson, Kan., (Feb. 23, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team opened the 2025 season with a non-conference doubleheader against Doane (Neb.), Sunday afternoon in McPherson, Kan.  The Vikings dropped game one, 5-1, and went to extra-innings in the second game, falling by a 6-5 score.

Game one of the doubleheader started with Doane threatening in the bottom of the first inning, but Junior Catcher Kalin Carter (Superio, Wisc.) threw a runner out trying to steal second base to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.  The top of the second inning featured a two-out double from Junior Leftfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan) and a walk from Senior Second Baseman Ruben Fernandez (Madrid, Spain), but the pair were left stranded.  Junior Pitcher Caleb Monnig (Liberty, Mo.) worked out of a two-on and no-out jam, inducing a double-play grounder to Freshman Shortstop Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) to maintain the scoreless tie.  Doane broke through in the bottom of the third, using two hits and one error to produce two runs and move in front, 2-0.  The Vikings tried to rally in the top of the fourth, as Senior Designated Hitter Austyn Andrachick (Kalispell, Mont.) doubled, while both Senior Third Baseman Connor Bell (San Diego, Calif.) and Kaneko walked to load the bases with one out.  However, a double-play ended the rally attempt, and kept MVC in a 2-0 deficit.

Doane tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth, to make it a 3-0 score.  Missouri Valley got that run back in the top of the fifth, as Junior Rightfielder Pablo Arnaud (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) tripled and Junior Centerfielder Mason Mitchell Mitchell (Littleton, Colo.) brought him home on a grounder to cut the gap down to 3-1.  Freshman Pitcher Isaac Nieters (Hughesville, Mo.) came in to pitch as the game went into the bottom of the fifth inning, and struck out two batters.  After a scoreless top of the sixth, Doane added another pair of runs on a two-run homer to extend the team's lead to 5-1.  The Vikings threatened in the top of the seventh, as Arnaud doubled and Mitchell walked, all with two outs, but the pair were left on-base as Missouri Valley fell, 5-1.

Arnaud led with two hits and one run scored, while Kalin, Andrachick, and Kaneko each added one hit.  Monnig picked up the loss, going three innings with three hits, no earned runs and one strikeout.  Nieters struck out four batters in two innings of work.

Doane went in front early in game two of the doubleheader, using two hits to score two runs and hold a 2-0 advantage after the first inning.  Both teams were taken down in order in the second inning, as Junior Pitcher Tanner Duncan (Kennett, Mo.) struck out one batter.  Missouri Valley put together a long at-bat in the top of the third, which started on walks from Suzuki and Freshman Catcher Jaozef Del Rosario (Toronto, Ontario).  A failed pick-off attempt allowed Suzuki to score on the error, and Mitchell drew the third-straight walk.  Later in the inning, Bell singled to score Rosario, Dunan singled to bring home Mitchell, while an error on the play allowed Bell to come home and give MVC a 4-2 lead.  Doane threatened in the bottom half of the third, one a leadoff double, but Duncan struck out two batters to end the at-bat.  

Both teams struggled to produce from the plate until the bottom of the fifth, as Doane manufactured one run on one hit, one error and one walk to cut the deficit to 4-3.  Missouri Valley responded with offense in the top of the sixth, which started on a double from Arnaud.  After advancing to third base, Arnaud was brought home on a Senior Pinch Hitter Jayden Mah (Nanaimo, British Columbia) single, and the Vikings were now ahead, 5-3.  Doane rallied in the bottom of the sixth, knocking out a two-run homer to tie the contest at 5-5.  The Vikings nearly broke the tie in the top of the seventh, when Arnaud singled with two runners on-base, but Kaneko was thrown out at home, and MVC stranded a pair of runners on-base to end the at-bat.  Doane also had two runners stranded to end the bottom of the seventh, moving the game into extra-innings.

Missouri Valley went down in order in the top of the eighth, while Senior Pitcher Bodey Ellis (Kennett, Mo.) struck out one batter, and stranded one runner in the bottom half of the inning.  Kaneko walked to open the top of the ninth, and eventually reached second base, but a double-play ended the threat, and kept the teams tied.  Doane started the bottom of the ninth with a double, and the runner reached third on a wild pitch.  After two intentional walks, another wild pitch allowed the runner from third to reach home safely, and secure the 6-5 win for Doane.

Arnaud led with two hits and one run scored, while Bell had one hit, one run and one RBI.  Mah and Duncan each finished with one hit and one RBI.  Duncan pitched five innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs with seven strikeouts.  Ellis picked up the loss, going the final 2.1 innings, giving up three hits, one earned run and striking out two batters.

The pair of losses drop Missouri Valley to 0-2 on the season, while Doane improves to 5-1.

Up next, the two teams will finish a series in McPherson, Kan., Monday, with the doubleheader starting at 12:15 p.m.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here 

About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.