April 29, 2018

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credit by Cody Welu

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) and Viterbo (Wis.) battled through high winds of over 30-mile-per-hour Sunday in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Softball regular-season finale.  The V-Hawks rallied back for a 4-3 victory in the first game, while the Trojans came back for a 5-4 game two win after a walk-off RBI single by Jasmin Lucero.  It was the Senior Day for Dakota State as they played their final regular-season game at Thue Softball Complex.

Dakota State snapped their six-game losing skid after the regular-season finale victory.  The Trojans are 19-28 overall record and finished their North Star conference schedule with a 13-15 record.  DSU tied for the most wins since the 2007 season and recorded its most North Star victories since joining the conference in 2013-14.

Dakota State will be the No. 5 seed for the upcoming North Star Athletic Association Postseason conference tournament.  The Trojans face No. 4 seed Bellevue (Neb.) in the opening round on Friday morning.  Stay tuned to the DSU Athletics website for the time and location of the field at Players Softball Complex in Aberdeen, S.D.

Viterbo ended their 2018 season with an overall record of 13-30 and 7-20 NSAA conference record.  The V-Hawks did not advance to the North Star conference postseason tournament.

Game 1 – Viterbo (Wis.) 4, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL

Dakota State earned a 2-0 lead after three innings in the first game.  Viterbo rallied back with four runs and held off the Trojans by the score of 4-3.

Kailee McFadden led off DSU with a single in the bottom half of the first inning.  She swiped to second base.  Melissa Krapf reached safely caused by VU's defensive error and allowed McFadden to score for DSU 1-0 lead.

The Trojans added a run in the bottom third inning to extend their lead to 2-0.  Krapf led off with a single and advanced to second base on the same play caused by V-Hawks' defensive miscue.  Peyton Brokiewicz followed up with a single and advanced Krapf to third base.  Xitlali Lopez produced an RBI fielder's choice to score Krapf to give Dakota State a two-run lead (Brokiewicz was forced out at second base).

Viterbo snapped their scoring drought with a pair of runs in the top fifth inning.  Bailey Thur and Taylor Bondar opened up with back-to-back singles.  Caitlin Brown drilled a 2-RBI triple to score Thur and Bondar as the V-Hawks knotted the game at 2-2. 

VU added another two-run inning in the top sixth inning.  Brooklyn Ottelien started with a walk.  Anna Lensmire followed up with an RBI triple to score Ottelien as Viterbo earned a 3-2 lead.  Thur reached safely on base caused by DSU's defensive error to allow Lensmire to score, widening VU's lead to 4-2.

Brokiewicz kicked off the bottom seventh inning by smashing an inside-the-park home run as the Trojans trailed 4-3.  It was the 11th home run this season for Brokiewicz, tying the DSU Softball single-season record for most home runs (Samantha Mitchell with 11 home runs in 2014).

The Trojans could not complete their comeback bid in the bottom seventh as they left a runner on first base, securing the win for the V-Hawks.

Brokiewicz finished the game by going 3-of-4 at the plate with a home run, two singles, RBI and a run scored for DSU.  Lopez added a single and an RBI.  McFadden and Krapf each had a hit and a run scored.  Tatum Ronke and Megan Zephier each tallied a single.  Audrey Kosman reached on base by a walk twice and was hit-by-pitch.  Taylor Poe and Krapf each recorded a stolen base.

Brown led VU with a triple and drove in two RBIs.  Lensmire added a triple and an RBI.  Kelsey Ludwig had two hits.  Ottelien, Bondar and Taylor Vance each had a single.  Ottelien, Lensmire, Thur and Bondar each scored.

Both teams recorded eight hits in the game.  The Trojans left ten runners on base compared to the V-Hawks six runners left on base.

Kelly Drake (L, 4-10), who pitched in her last home collegiate game at Thue Softball Complex, tossed a complete game for Dakota State.  Despite the loss in the pitching circle, she gave up four runs on eight hits.  She recorded three strikeouts. 

Kendyl Schine (W, 3-4) earned a complete game win for Viterbo.  She allowed three runs (one unearned) on eight hits.  She registered three strikeouts.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 5, Viterbo (Wis.) 4 – FINAL

Viterbo grabbed the first lead of the game in the top first inning of the second game.  Ludwig reached safely caused by DSU's defensive error and advanced to second base.  She swiped to third base.  Lauren Davis recorded an RBI ground out to score Ludwig for VU 1-0 lead.

Dakota State answered back with a run scored in the bottom first frame.  With Brokiewicz on first base with two outs, Lopez hit a single to advance Brokiewicz to third base.  Jasmin Lucero produced an RBI single to score Brokiewicz as the Trojans tied the game at 1-1.

DSU added a run in the bottom second inning.  Poe led off with a single and advanced to second base caused by VU's defensive miscue.  After Ronke was struck out swinging with a dropped third strike, Poe advanced to third base after a put-out was made at first base.  The Trojans made it 2-1 after Poe scored home after the V-Hawks committed a wild pitch.

Poe hit a single with one out in the bottom fourth.  Ronke followed up with a single and advanced Poe to third base.  Zephier hit an RBI single to score Poe as DSU ballooned their lead to 3-1.

The V-Hawks rallied back with two runs scored in the top sixth inning.  Lensmire reached on base after DSU dropped an infield fly ball.  She advanced to second base after Bondar's single.  Thur hit an RBI single to score Lensmire as the V-Hawks cut Trojans' lead to 3-2 (Bondar advanced to third base).  Sarah Throgmorton hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Bondar as VU knotted the game at 3-3.

Dakota State responded back with a run scored in the bottom half of the sixth inning.  With Poe on first base after a fielder's choice, Ronke blasted an RBI double to score Poe as the Trojans regained their lead at 4-3.

Schine led off the top seventh with a single for Viterbo.  After a pair of pop-outs, Ottelien hit an RBI double to score Schine as the V-Hawks tied the game at 4-4. 

Krapf opened up the bottom seventh with a walk for the Trojans.  Brokiewicz hit a bunt single to advance Krapf to second base.  Lopez added a single to set up a bases loaded situation with no outs for DSU.

Lucero hit a walk-off RBI single to score Krapf as Dakota State earned a thrilling victory to close out their regular-season schedule.

Lucero finished the game by going 2-of-4 at the plate with two singles and drove in two runs for the Trojans.  Ronke added a double, single and an RBI.  Zephier had two singles and an RBI.  Poe tallied two singles and scored three runs.  McFadden and Brokiewicz each registered a single. 

Lensmire and Ottelien each hit a double for the V-Hawks.  Bondar had two singles.  Thur and Throgmorton each had a single and an RBI.  Throgmorton and Ludwig each swiped one base.

Dakota State outhit Viterbo 13-7.  The Trojans had nine runners left on base compared to the V-Hawks with seven runners left on base.

Lopez (W, 9-7) earned a complete game victory in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  She gave up four runs (three unearned) on seven hits.  She struck out four VU's batters.

Ottelien pitched the first two innings for Viterbo.  She allowed two runs (one unearned) on five hits.  Caitlyn Almberg (L, 3-10) took the loss after being responsible for DSU's winning run in the bottom seventh frame.  She tossed four innings and faced one batter in the bottom seventh, giving up three runs on five hits.  Thur faced three batters in the seventh, allowing three singles.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director