April 13, 2018
OMAHA, Neb. – Valley City State (N.D.) rolled past Dakota State (S.D.) in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Baseball doubleheader Friday at Westgate Field. The Vikings defeated the Trojans 14-4 in eight innings in the first game and closed out the four-game series with a huge fifth-inning offensive explosion for a 6-3 victory.
Dakota State fell to 1-22 overall record and 1-12 record in North Star conference games. Valley City State improved to 12-20 overall record and 6-8 NSAA conference record.
DSU-Dordt (Iowa) home baseball doubleheader on Tuesday has been canceled. The Trojans are set to face Morningside (Iowa) in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday. The doubleheader is set for 2 p.m. at Lewis & Clark Stadium in Sioux City, Iowa.
Game 1 – Valley City State (N.D.) 14, Dakota State (S.D.) 4 – FINAL/8 innings
Valley City State raced to a 6-0 lead after three innings and never looked back for a 14-4 victory, which ended in eight innings due to mercy-rule in a nine-inning game. The Vikings pound out 15 hits in the game, while the Trojans recorded 14 hits.
VCSU scored a run in the bottom first frame for a 1-0 lead. Tyler Ukestad added an RBI double in the second inning to extend Vikings' lead to 2-0.
Brady Smith and Emmanuel Leyva opened up with back-to-back singles for Valley City State in the bottom third. Grant Wehseler followed up with a 3-run home run blast to balloon VCSU's lead to 5-0.
Alejando Guterrez hit an RBI double to widen Vikings' lead to 6-0 in the bottom third.
The Trojans snapped their scoring drought with a run scored in the top fifth. Hayden Klibbe led off with a single. He advanced to second base after a balk committed by the Vikings. Samuel Drummont hit a single and advanced Klibbe to third base. Micah DeHarty produced an RBI ground out to score Klibbe as DSU trailed 6-1.
With bases loaded situation in the bottom half of the fifth inning, Gutierrez produced an RBI single to make it 7-1 in favor of VCSU.
The Vikings plated four more runs in the bottom sixth to expand their lead to 11-1, highlighted by Leyva's 2-run home run and an RBI single by Brennen Neva and Gutierrez.
Dakota State scored once in the top seventh inning. Klibbe reached on base by a walk. He advanced to second base by VCSU's passed ball. Zach Sutera added a walk with two outs. Jordan Hofer drilled an RBI double to score Klibbe, trimming Vikings' lead down to 11-2.
Valley City State did not score in the bottom seventh as the game was extended into the eighth inning.
The Trojans plated two runs in the top eighth inning. Marcos Alvarez hit a single. He advanced to second base by a passed ball committed by the Vikings. Dyshawn Proudlove reached on base by a single and advanced Alvarez to third base. On the same play, Alvarez scored home caused by VCSU's defensive miscue as DSU trailed 11-3 (Proudlove advanced to second base).
Samuel Drummond hit an RBI double to score Proudlove as the Trojans cut Vikings' lead to 11-4.
Valley City State secured the game in the bottom eighth inning with two outs, scoring three runs for a 14-4 victory.
Alvarez was perfect at the plate, going 4-of-4 with four singles for Dakota State. Drummond added a double, two singles and an RBI. Hofer had a double, single and an RBI. DeHarty registered a hit and an RBI. Jalen Boyd, Connor Nagel, Proudlove and Klibbe each tallied a single. Sutera and Klibbe each recorded a walk.
Gutierrez was 3-of-4 at the plate with a double, two singles and collected a game-high four RBIs. Wehseler added a home run, two singles, three RBIs and scored four runs. Leyva had a home run, single and two RBIs. Smith had two singles.
DSU left eight runners on base compared to VCSU seven runners left on base.
Nagel (L, 0-6) recorded the loss on the pitching mound for the Trojans. He worked for 4 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits. He recorded five strikeouts. Trae Ramsey pitched for two outs in relief and yield one hit. Kyle Grant pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs (one unearned) on five hits. Bailey Belisario worked for one out in the bottom eighth with a hit allowed.
Jordan Roos (W, 2-1) earned the victory after tossing five innings for the Vikings. He pitched five innings and gave up one run on nine hits. Tyler Kliniske worked for three innings in relief, allowing three runs (one unearned) on five hits. He struck out five DSU's batters.
Game 2 – Valley City State (N.D.) 6, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL
Valley City State erased a 2-1 deficit with a four-run fifth inning and held off Dakota State 6-3 in the four-game series finale.
After two scoreless innings, the Trojans grabbed the first lead of the game in the top third. Sutera hit a single with two outs. Hofer followed up with a walk and advanced Sutera to second base. Boyd smashed an RBI double to score Sutera for first run of the game (DSU led 1-0).
Dakota State made it 2-0 in the top third inning as Nagel reached safely caused by VCSU's defensive miscue and allowed Hofer to score.
The Vikings answered with a run in the bottom third. Austin Smith led off with a walk. He advanced to second base after Brady Smith's ground out to shortstop. Austin Smith advanced to third base with another ground out by Leyva. Austin Smith scored home by DSU's passed ball as VCSU trailed 2-1.
Valley City State scored four times in the bottom fifth to overtake a 5-2 lead over Dakota State.
DSU scored once in the top sixth inning. With two outs, Alvarez hit a single. Proudlove and Klibbe recorded back-to-back hit-by-pitches to set up a bases loaded situation for the Trojans. Smith Kemper, pinch hitter for DeHarty, produced an RBI single to score Alvarez as Dakota State cut Valley City State's lead to 5-3.
The Vikings added a run to make it 6-3 in the bottom half of the sixth inning, caused by Trojans' defensive miscue.
DSU could not score in the final inning as VCSU secured the victory.
Boyd and Hofer each had a double for Dakota State. Sutera, Alvarez, DeHarty and Kemper each registered a single. Boyd, Nagel and Kemper each collected an RBI. Hofer had a walk.
Austin Smith, Brady Smith, Wehesler, Gutierrez, Kody Lane and Neva each had a hit for Valley City State. Gutierrez and Lane each tallied an RBI. Austin Smith scored three times. Lane swiped two bases.
Both teams recorded six hits in the game. The Trojans committed four defensive errors compared to the Vikings one defensive miscue. VCSU left seven runners on base while DSU had six runners left on base.
Hunter Hazen (L, 0-2) recorded the loss after tossing 4 1/3 innings on the pitching mound for Dakota State. He allowed three runs on three hits. Trey Randel worked for 1 2/3 innings in relief, giving up three runs (one unearned) on three hits.
Chase Carpenter started the game for Valley City State. He pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up two runs (one unearned) on three hits. Shaun Kourajian (W, 3-1) earned the victory after working three innings in relief. He gave up one run on three hits. Brady Engebretson worked for the final out in the top sixth inning. Max Koprek (S, 4) earned the save after pitching a shutout seventh inning.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
