February 18, 2018
ABERDEEN, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) shuts down long-time rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) for the first six innings Sunday afternoon, holding a 5-0 lead in the second game of the Presentation (S.D.) Softball Dome Tournament. The Tigers exploded for five runs in the bottom seventh to tie the game, but the Trojans blasted a pair of home runs to earn their first win of the season with an 8-5 victory over DWU.
Dakota State improved their overall record to 1-4. Dakota Wesleyan fell to 2-5 overall record. Both teams split their two meetings at Presentation Dome.
The Trojans opened up the game by scoring two runs in the first inning. Kailee McFadden led off with a walk. She swiped to second base. Melissa Krapf hit a single and advanced McFadden to third base. Nicole Stewart reached safely on base by DWU's dropped fly ball, scoring McFadden for DSU 1-0 lead (Krapf advanced to second base).
Jasmin Lucero followed up with an RBI single to score Krapf to extend Dakota State's lead to 2-0 in the top first.
DSU exploded for three runs in the top sixth frame. McFadden led off with a single. She stole for second base. Krapf reached on base by a walk. Stewart hit a single to set up a bases loaded with no outs situation for the Trojans.
Lucero reached safely on base caused by DWU's defensive miscue, allowing McFadden to score for 3-0 DSU lead. Peyton Brokiewicz added an RBI single to score Krapf to make it 4-0 in favor of the Trojans. Dakota State made it 5-0 after Taylor Poe's RBI single to score Lucero.
Dakota Wesleyan stormed back in the bottom seventh inning by scoring five runs, thanks to a grand slam by Melysia Ortega to tie the game at 5-5. The Tigers left one runner on base as the game went into extra innings.
Xitlali Lopez, pinch hitter for Audrey Kosman, led off the top eighth inning with a solo home run to give DSU a 6-5 lead.
Hailey Gukeisen hit a single with one out for Dakota State in the top eighth inning. Tatum Ronke followed up by smashing a 2-run home run to extend DSU's lead to 8-5.
The Trojans stopped the Tigers in the bottom eighth inning as Lopez retired the final three Tigers' batters.
Ronke had a home run and drove in two runs for Dakota State. Lopez added two hits and an RBI. Lucero had a single and collected two RBIs. Krapf produced three singles. Poe, Stewart and Brokiewicz each had a single and an RBI. McFadden recorded a single and swiped three bases. Gukeisen had two singles.
Ortega hit a home run and led the Tigers with four RBIs. Andrea Konz and Amber Budmark each had two singles. Andriana Sprakel, Karly Severance, Katelyne Doughterty, Mikael Smith and Alyssa Garcia each had a single.
The Trojans outhit the Tigers 13-10 in the game. DWU committed four defensive errors in the game compared to DSU one miscue. Dakota State left 14 runners on base while Dakota Wesleyan had eight runners left on base.
Stefani Gollin started the game in the pitching circle for DSU. She tossed 6 1/3 innings and allowed five runs on 10 hits. She struck out five DWU batters. Kosman (W, 1-0) earned the win after shutting down the Tigers for the final two outs in the seventh inning. Lopez (S, 1) produced her first save of the season after retiring all three Tigers batters in the bottom eighth.
Alyson VanderPol (L, 1-2) recorded the loss, despite pitching a complete game for Dakota Wesleyan. She gave up eight runs (one unearned) on 13 hits.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
