April 20, 2016
Photos credits by Scott Voigt
MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) returned home Wednesday evening as they host Dordt (Iowa) in a rainy non-conference doubleheader at Thue Softball Complex. The Defenders put together four runs in the top eighth inning and held off the Trojans 7-3 in the first game of the doubleheader. DC won the second game by the score of 19-4 five innings to complete a four-game season-series sweep.
Dakota State fell to 7-21 overall record. Dordt, a member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, raised their overall record to 21-15.
Game 1 – Dordt (Iowa) 7, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL/8 innings
Dordt scored a run in each of the first three innings before the Trojans used a late comeback to tie the game. The Defenders went on to score four runs in the top eighth innings and held on a 7-3 game one victory.
The Defenders earned the first lead of the game in the top first. After the first two outs of the game were recorded, Samantha Johnson reached on base by a walk. Carissa McBirnie followed up with a single and advanced Johnson to second base. Tessa Howerzyl reached on base by DSU's defensive error, allowing Johnson to score for DC 1-0 lead.
Dordt added another run in the top second inning, thanks to Michal Hoogland's lead-off double. She advanced to third base caused by Trojans' defensive miscue on the same play. The Defenders made it 2-0 after Krista Bousema recorded an RBI sacrifice fly.
Johnson and McBirnie hit back-to-back singles for Dordt in the top third frame. Howerzyl hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Johnson to third and Shelby Vrieling – pinch runner for McBirnie – to second base. Jordan Harmelink hit a sacrifice fly to score Johnson, extending Defenders' lead to 3-0.
The Trojans ended their scoring drought with a run scored in the bottom fifth frame. Kylee Pospisil was hit-by-pitch to start the bottom fifth. She swiped to second base. Tatum Ronke produced an RBI single to score Pospisil as DSU trimmed DC's lead to 3-1.
Dakota State continued their late comeback with two runs scored in the bottom half of the sixth inning. The Trojans opened up with three straight hits with Kayla Schmell starting off with a single. Elizabeth Rubalcava followed up with a ground-rule double to advanced Schmell to third base.
Audrey Kosman hit an RBI single to score Schmell as DSU trailed at 3-2 with no outs, advancing Rubalcava to third base. After April Pisk's sacrifice bunt to advance Kosman to second base, Dakota State tied the game at 3-3 after Pospisil hit an RBI single to score Rubalcava (Kosman advanced to third).
DSU could not continue their scoring surge in the bottom sixth frame as they left runners on third and second bases when the sixth inning ended.
Both teams did not score in the seventh inning, as the game was extended to extra innings. It was the second time this season that both DC and DSU went to extra innings.
Per international tie break rules in non-conference games, Dordt placed Howerzyl on second base to start the top eighth inning. Harmelink recorded a sacrifice bunt to advance Howerzyl to third base. Hoogland hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Howerzyl as the Defenders took a 4-3 lead.
Dordt continued their scoring outburst as they added three more runs after recording five straight hits, highlighted by Kassidy Van Voorst 2-RBI single.
Schmell was placed on second base before the Trojans start the bottom eighth inning. Kosman hit a single with one out to advance Schmell to third base. DSU was unable to convert their scoring chances as they left two runners on base when the game ended, securing the victory for DC.
Kosman was 2-of-3 at the plate with two singles and an RBI for Dakota State. Schmell added two singles and recorded a stolen base. Rubalcava had a double. Pospisil and Ronke each collected a single and an RBI. Ariana Duran had a single.
Johnson went perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and two singles for Dordt. Van Voorst, Corinee Valdix and McBirnie each added two hits. Van Voorst produced two RBIs. Hoogland had a double and an RBI. Krista Bousema and Pierce each had a hit.
DC outhit DSU 12-8 in the game. The Defenders left ten runners on base compared to the Trojans seven runners left on base.
Dakota State's defense recorded two double plays, while Dordt had one double play in the game.
Kosman (L, 3-11) took the loss in the circle for the Trojans. She tossed a complete game and allowed seven runs (one unearned) on 12 hits.
Tianna Top (W, 11-6) earned a complete game victory for the Defenders. She gave up three runs on eight hits.
Game 2 – Dordt (Iowa) 19, Dakota State (S.D.) 4 – FINAL/5 innings
The Defenders raced to a 16-0 lead in the second game of the doubleheader and never looked back for a 19-4 victory.
Dordt opened the game by scoring four runs in the top first inning, highlighted by McBirnie's 3-RBI double for a 3-0 lead. McBirnie advanced twice after a pair of ground outs, scoring a run as Defenders' lead grew to 4-0.
DC plated three more runs in the top second. Pierce led off with a single. Valdix hit a double to left-center and advanced Pierce to third base. Johnson produced an RBI sacrifice fly to score Pierce for Defenders 4-0 lead.
McBirnie hit a 2-run home run in the top second to expand Dordt's lead to 7-0.
Dordt exploded for nine runs on eight hits in the top fourth inning, extending their lead to 16-0.
The Trojans scored twice in the bottom fourth inning. Pisk hit a single with one out. Pospisil drilled a double to advance Pisk to third base. Ronke followed up with another double, a 2-RBI double to score Pisk and Pospisil as DSU trimmed Dordt's lead to 16-2.
Bousema recorded a 2-RBI double and Valdix added an RBI single as Dordt make it 19-2 in the top fifth inning.
Dakota State scorded twice in the bottom fifth inning. Peyton Brokiewicz led off with a single. Rubalcava added another single and advanced Brokiewicz to second base. Pisk drove in Brokiewicz home after an RBI single as the Trojans trailed 19-3.
Pospisil added an RBI single to score Rubalcava, cutting DC's lead to 19-4 with two outs in the bottom fifth. The Defenders secured the victory as the Trojans left two runners on base when the game ended.
Ronke, Pospisl and Pisk each registered two hits for Dakota State. Ronke produced two RBIs, while Pospisil and Pisk each had an RBI. Brokiewiz, Schmell, Rubalcava, Kosman and Harley Lindell each added a single.
McBirnie had a home run, double and drove in a game-high six RBIs for Dordt. Valdix added three hits and two RBIs. Van Voorst had an inside-the-park home run, single, stolen base and two RBIs. Howerzyl, Marlia Rossell, Harmelink, Vrieling, Bousema and Pierce each had a hit. Bousema recorded two RBIs.
DC outhit DSU 17-11 in the game. The Trojans left six runners on base while the Defenders had five runners left on base.
Ashley Olson (L, 2-7) recorded the loss on the pitching mound for DSU. She pitched three-plus innings and allowed 13 runs (2 unearned) on 11 hits. Claire Fischer worked for two innings and gave up six runs (one unearned) on six hits.
CJ Van Der Zwaag (W, 8-5) tossed a complete game victory for DC. She gave up four runs on 11 hits.
Dakota State stays busy Thursday as they face another foe from the GPAC conference. The Trojans travel to Yankton, S.D. to take on in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.) at Riverside Park. First game of the non-conference doubleheader is set for 3 p.m.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
