Errors Cost Cougars in 7-6 11-Inning Loss to Doane


	Cougar Baseball Recap Errors Cost Cougars in 7-6 11-Inning Loss to Doane written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Boxscore MARION, Ind. (5-10-2012) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to send the game into extra innings, but in the end the Cougars could not overcome nine errors as they fell 7-6 in 11 innings on Thursday afternoon to No. 5 seeded Doane (Neb.) College in the first game of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round - Marion Bracket hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University. The Tigers (35-19) took advantage of an error with two outs in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead when Mike Albert reached on a throwing error by sophomore third baseman Jeff Stone and advanced to second on the play. Chris Manning followed with an RBI single to right field to plate the run. An error on sophomore right-handed pitcher Mike Kochheiser, catcher's interference, and a bunt single loaded the bases for Doane in the top of the second inning with no outs. A ground ball to third got through Stone as one run scored, but a second base runner was cut down at the plate thanks to a strong throw by freshman outfielder Jake Dickerson for the first out. A sacrifice fly by Anthony Hincy plated the second run of the inning, and a run-scoring single down the leftfield line increased the lead to 4-0 as all three runs in the inning were unearned. Doane's lead grew to 5-0 in the top of the third inning when freshman outfielder Andrew Fila dropped a fly ball in right off the bat of Manning, who advanced to second on the play. Thomas Albert sacrificed Manning to third, and he came around to score on a wild pitch. The Cougars (33-19), who are the No. 4 seed in the five-team event, began their comeback in the bottom of the third inning when MVNU took advantage of an error by the Tigers to score a run and pull within 5-1. However, a double play in the inning kept the Cougars from scoring more. A two-out bunt single by sophomore outfielder Robert Kane plated the run. The next three and a half innings breezed by as Kochheiser and Doane's starting left-handed pitcher Tim Carlson both settled into a groove as the score remained 5-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning. Then, in the bottom of the seventh inning, MVNU got singles from freshman second baseman Sterling Harpst and Fila and a fielder's choice from senior designated hitter Jeff Estep to load the bases with one out. After Kane struck out, sophomore first baseman Seth Eller lined a two-run single to right to pull the Cougars within 5-3. After Kochheiser retired the Tigers in order in the top of the eighth inning, MVNU went back to work offensively in the bottom of the eighth. Junior shortstop Jordan Doherty and Harpst recorded back-to-back one-out singles and freshman catcher Clint Spencer followed with a sacrifice fly to inch the Cougars closer at 5-4. Following a walk to Fila to put runners at first and second with two outs, Estep punched a half-swing single back up the middle to knot the score at 5-5. Kochheiser and MVNU worked out of a jam defensively in the top of the ninth inning and then the Cougars were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth inning as the game moved to extra innings still knotted at 5-5. Doane had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the top of the tenth inning when a throwing error, a sacrifice bunt, and a single put runners at first and third with just one out. However, Thomas Albert grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and keep the score tied at 5-5. After MVNU failed to score in the bottom of the tenth inning despite getting two runners on, the game moved to the eleventh inning still tied. A dropped fly ball to shortstop, an infield single, a wild pitch, and an intentional walk loaded the bases for the Tigers with no outs. Alex Arkfeld followed with a two-run single to right center to give Doane a 7-5 advantage. The Cougars kept the score from getting any worse with an out at the plate and then a double play to end the inning, but the damage had already been done. In the bottom of the eleventh inning, Kane led off the frame with a walk and moved to second on an infield single up the middle by Eller to put two runners on with no outs. After Stone moved the runners up with a ground out back to the mound, Dickerson drilled a ball to deep left center that looked off the bat as if it would at least land in the gap to score two runs and tie the game or possibly clear the fence to give MVNU a walk-off win. However, the strong winds blowing in from left held the ball up and it went down as a sacrifice fly as Kane scored to pull the Cougars within 7-6. That would be as close as MVNU would get, though, as Doherty was retired on a ground ball to short to end the game on a bang-bang play as he hustled down the line. Kochheiser *(right)* was outstanding on the mound for the Cougars as he started and worked eight-plus innings and allowed just five hits and five unearned runs with two strikeouts. Estep (4-3) took the loss as he gave up three hits, one walk, and two runs (one earned) over three innings of work. Tim Carlson started and worked 7.1 innings for the Tigers as he scattered 10 hits, two walks, and five runs (four earned) with two strikeouts. Brandon Stennis registered one out and walked one batter, and Nathan Roth (5-4) earned the victory in relief as he allowed three hits, two walks, and one run over 3.1 innings. Offensively, MVNU pounded out 13 hits as Harpst led the way by going 4-for-5. Eller and Fila both added two hits apiece with Eller driving in two runs. Meanwhile, Manning and Anthony Dunn both had two hits each. "I don't remember a game in which we played so poorly defensively," said MVNU coach Keith Veale of his team's nine errors. "We struggled to make just the routine plays. I really liked what I saw in Mike early in the game even though we found ourselves down 5-0 in the third inning. He was throwing multiple pitches for strikes, but we just broke down play after play. In spite of our breakdowns, Mike really handled the disappointment well. He gave us an opportunity in the late innings to pull the game out…a game that we had no business having a chance in. Our hitters stayed after it as well and got things tied up and into extra innings." "The challenge became mental as much as physical as the game wore on," Veale continued. "Trying to trust and believe in yourself and your teammates is tough on days like today. I like how we were still in it at the end and could have pulled it out. We were definitely our own worst enemy today." The Cougars will now have to work their way through the loser's bracket of the double elimination event if they want to advance to the NAIA World Series. MVNU will square off with a familiar foe on Friday at noon in an elimination game when the Cougars take on No. 3 seed Taylor (Ind.) University, who fell 3-2 to No. 2 seed Point Park (Pa.) University in Thursday's second game. MVNU is 3-3 against the NAIA No. 24 Trojans this season including a pair of victories against them in last week's Mid-Central College Conference Tournament. The winner of that game would advance to an 8 p.m. loser's bracket game on Friday against No. 1 seed and defending national champion Concordia (Calif.) University, who was upset 4-3 by Doane in Thursday's final game. Doane and Point Park will square off in the winner's bracket finale at 4 p.m. on Friday.

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