March 29, 2015
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) dropped a pair of games against members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Sunday afternoon in the Morningside (Iowa) Softball Tournament at SYA Complex. The Trojans lost to the host-team Morningside 18-3 in the first game and Hastings (Neb.) 14-4 in the second game.
Dakota State is 1-14 overall record after the tournament is completed. Morningside is 12-8 overall record, while Hastings is 16-10 overall record.
Morningside (Iowa) 18, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL/5 innings
The Mustangs raced to a 15-0 lead in the first two-and-half innings and never looked back as they defeated the Trojans.
Both MC and DSU went three-and-out in the opening inning.
Morningside exploded for seven runs in the top second frame for a 7-0 lead. The Mustangs led off the inning with three consecutive hits, followed by a walk. MC recorded seven hits in the inning.
The Mustangs added eight more runs in the top third as their lead grew to 15-0.
Dakota State snapped their scoreless drought with three runs scored in the bottom third inning. Lexy Miller reached on base with a single with one out. Erica Belter added a single to advance Miller to second base. Sara Erickson blasted a 2-RBI double to score Miller and Belter to cut Mustangs' lead to 15-2.
Brittany Hill hit a single to advance Erickson to third base in the bottom third for the Trojans. Ariana Duran reached on base by MC's defensive error, allowing Erickson to score to trim DSU's deficit to 15-3.
McKenzie Anderson hit an RBI sacrifice fly to give Morningside a 16-3 lead in the top fourth.
MC scored twice in the top fifth to make it 18-3 after Allison Wegner hit a 2-RBI double.
Hill was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three singles for the Trojans. Erickson added a double and produced two RBIs. Belter and Miller each had a single and scored a run.
Elin Landgren was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two singles and tallied three RBIs for the Mustangs. Anderson added three singles and collected four RBIs. Jacey Tomhave had three hits and two RBIs. Anna Milone and Kristina Neumann each earned two hits. Brittany Gill, Wegner, Taylor Daas, Haley Rustvold and Rachel Koch each had a hit. Gill, Wegner, Daas, Milone and Tomhave each had two RBIs.
MC outhit DSU 18-6 in the game. The Mustangs left seven runners on base while the Trojans had six runners left on base.
Shai-Lee Hill (0-4) recorded the loss on the pitching mound for DSU. She pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed 14 runs (two unearned) on 12 hits. Ellie Kristensen worked for 2 2/3 innings in relief, giving up six runs (two unearned) on six hits.
Andrea Medinger (3-1) picked up the victory for MC. She tossed three innings and allowed three runs (one unearned) on five hits. Carlie Maasz pitched two scoreless innings, giving up a hit.
Hastings (Neb.) 14, Dakota State (S.D.) 4 – FINAL/6 innings
The Broncos raced to a 10-1 lead in the second game and defeated the Trojans 14-4.
Chloe Boeka and Corrin Ziepke hit back-to-back singles with one out for HC in the opening inning. Morgan Fisher recorded a 2-RBI double to score Boeka and Ziepke for 2-0 Broncos lead. Alexis Grimmett added an RBI double to score Fisher to extend HC's lead to 3-0.
Hastings made it 4-0 after Marina Stickley hit an RBI single to score Grimmett.
The Trojans scored a run in the bottom second frame, thanks to four consecutive bases-on-balls by Lynnie Angle, Harley Lindell, Lexy Miller and Ellie Kristensen. Kristensen recorded an RBI to score Angle as DSU cut Hastings' lead to 4-1.
The Broncos exploded for six runs in the top third frame as their lead grew to 10-1.
DSU put together three runs in the bottom fifth. Belter led off with a single. She advanced to second base after Erickson hit a ground out. Brittany Hill reached on base by HC's defensive error, allowing Belter to advance to third base.
Ariana Duran blasted a 2-RBI double to score Belter and Brittany Hill to reduce DSU's deficit to 10-3 in the bottom fifth inning. Lindell added another RBI double to score Duran, trimming Broncos' lead to 10-4.
Cara Williams hit a grand slam in the top sixth inning for a 14-4 HC lead.
Dakota State left a runner on base in the bottom sixth inning, securing the victory for Hastings.
Lindell collected two doubles and an RBI in the game for the Trojans. Duran added a double and two RBIs. Belter and Rubalcava each had two singles. Belter, Brittany Hill, Duran and Lindell each scored once. Kristensen had an RBI. Lindell, Angle, Miller and Kristensen each reached on base by a walk.
Williams had a home run and produced five RBIs for the Broncos. Fisher and Grimmett added a double and two RBIs. Ziepke had three hits and two RBIs. Stickley had two hits and an RBI. Boeka recorded a hit and an RBI.
Hastings have 11 hits in the game compared to Dakota State 7 hits.
Kristensen (1-8) recorded the loss on the pitching mound for DSU. She tossed six innings and allowed 14 runs (5 unearned) on 11 hits.
Shelby Welchert (3-1) earned the victory for HC. She worked for six innings and allowed four runs (one unearned) on seven hits.
Dakota State continues their action on the road Tuesday as they visit another GPAC foe, Mount Marty (S.D.), in a non-conference doubleheader. The first game of the doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. at Riverside Park in Yankton, S.D.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
