Lucero is Clutch as Baseball Sweeps No. 19 Doane
Hastings, NE – The Hastings College baseball team was looking to bounce back after two tough losses to Concordia mid-week and things did not look promising as No. 19 Doane came to town. But the Broncos battled and found a way sweeping the Tigers 2-1 and 4-3 on Saturday afternoon on a beautiful afternoon out at Duncan Field.
Hastings, NE – The Hastings College baseball team was looking to bounce back after two tough losses to Concordia mid-week and things did not look promising as No. 19 Doane came to town. But the Broncos battled and found a way sweeping the Tigers 2-1 and 4-3 on Saturday afternoon on a beautiful afternoon out at Duncan Field.
Head Coach Joel Schipper turned to Turner Tinant as he hoped his knuckle ball would create some problems for the powerful Doane lineup and he would be proven right. Tinant worked four solid innings keeping the Tigers off balance allowing just one run on three hits.
But the Bronco bats were up against Tiger ace Aaron Forrest who came in with a 5-1 record. His outing was not a bad one as he kept Hastings off the board through the first four innings.
Trailing 1-0, Hastings was looking to manufacture a run in the fifth as things looked a bit bleak with only a runner on first and two outs. Tristan Martinez would steal second and then Jace Valdez looped a single to center to allow Martinez to score from second to tie the game 1-1.
The Tigers then put some pressure on the Bronco defense loading the bases in the sixth but James Velasquez would get Joe Osborn to fly out to left keeping it a 1-1 ball game.
Mason Masur then singled to short and moved to second on the errant throw from short. Dylan Otto then grounded out but it moved Masur to third. Up stepped Matt Lucero and he came up with the clutch two out RBI single to score Masur for the 2-1 lead as the crowd erupted as the Broncos were on the verge of beating Doane for the first time since 2019.
Velasquez came out and gave up a leadoff walk and then had runners on first and second with one out but he got Jason Pridy to strikeout and then Luke LaChance hit a grounder up the middle where Valdez scooped the ball up and dove towards second getting the glove on the bag right before the runner for the force out completing the big upset.
Velasquez worked the final two innings giving up just one hit to collect his third win on the year. Masur led the way at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Game two saw Doane take a 3-2 lead over Hastings but Markus Miller battled through seven inning of work keeping Hastings in the game and giving them a shot.
The Bronco bats were struggling to do much after scoring two runs in the second off of a Valdez two out two RBI single to briefly give Hastings the lead.
Martinez had a roller coaster of an eighth inning as he dropped a fly ball and then Doane later had runners at first and third with one out. But Martinez redeemed himself when pinch hitter Logan Amick hit a line drive to him which he caught and then alertly noticed Tanner Black had taken off from first and threw him out for the double play which also ended the threat.
The Bronco bats then went back to work as Tyler Kissler single to right and two batters later, Masur reached to put runners on first and second with one out. Following a strikeout, Lucero was in a position to be the hero again and came through ripping a shot into the right center gap allowing pinch runner Trent Smith and Masur to score putting the Broncos up 4-3.
Doane had one final shot in the ninth as Danny Wisor came in for the rare save opportunity. His first batter was James Griess and he hit a rocket to left center but the ball carried just shy of 400 feet as Jaden Stone tracked the ball down right in front of the 405 sign for a loud first out. After another fly out to center and a single, Wisor got Jack Tillman to hit a gounder to third as Masur threw out Max Harris at second for the final out to complete Hastings' first sweep of Doane since 2017.
Miller went 7.0 innings giving up three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. Wisor gave up just the one hit as he picked up his first save of the season.
Lucero finished the game going 2-or-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Valdez went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as well.
Hastings improves to 10-18 (4-4) on the year and will be back in action Sunday Apr. 2 hitting the road to take on Doane in a doubleheader with first pitch set for 1:00 pm in Crete, NE.
