February 10, 2019
ABERDEEN, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) faced a nationally-ranked team for the second straight game Sunday afternoon in the Presentation (S.D.) Softball Dome. The Trojans' comeback bid fell short as No. 24-ranked Jamestown (N.D.) held on to a 6-4 victory.
Dakota State finished 1-2 record for the day on Sunday. Jamestown, who joined the Great Plains Athletic Conference this season, finished with a 4-1 record in the tournament.
The Jimmies took the first lead of the game in the top first inning. With runners on second base with two outs, Sydney Pruissa hit an RBI single to score Morgan Geiszler for UJ 1-0 lead.
After Geiszler hit a single with one out in the top third, Kassi Ward and Prussia hit back-to-back RBI doubles to extend Jimmies' lead to 3-0.
DSU ended their scoring drought in the bottom half of the third inning. Tatum Ronke led off with a walk. She swiped to second base. Melissa Krapf reached on base by a walk. Ronke scored, despite a double play by the Jimmies as DSU trailed 3-1.
Meghan Ramage recorded an RBI single to put Jamestown up 4-1 in the top fifth frame. Ward added a 2-RBI single in the top sixth inning to widen UJ's lead to 6-1.
Peyton Brokiewicz led off the bottom sixth by hit-by-pitch for Dakota State. Quinn Motichka drilled an RBI double to score Brokiewicz as DSU cut Jimmies' lead to 6-2.
The Trojans reduced their deficit down to 6-3 after Nicole Stewart hit an RBI double to score Motichka. DSU was unable to add more runs as they left runners full when the sixth inning ended.
Dakota State's comeback bid came short in the final inning as they scored a run. Melissa Krapf led off with a single. A wild pitch by the Jimmies advanced Krapf to second base. Motichka hit a one-out RBI double to score Krapf as the Trojans trimmed UJ's lead to 6-4.
Jamestown secured the victory by closing the game with a double play.
Motichka had two doubles, single and collected two RBIs for Dakota State. Xitlali Lopez added a double and a single. Stewart had a double and an RBI. Brokiewicz recorded a single and an RBI. Krapf had a single. Ronke swiped one base.
Prussia went 3-of-4 at the plate with a double, two singles and produced two RBIs for Jamestown. Allie McCain, Geisler and Ward each added two hits. Ward had three RBIs. Ramage had a single and an RBI.
UJ outhit DSU 13-8 in the game. The Jimmies left seven runners on base compared to the Trojans five runners left on base.
Annalisa Ingui (L, 0-1) took the loss on the pitching mound for Dakota State. She worked for 5 2/3 innings and allowed six runs on 12 hits. Lopez tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.
Katie Merchant (W, 3-1) posted the victory for Jamestown. She pitched six innings and gave up three runs on six hits. Ramage (S, 1) earned the save after working in the seventh inning. She allowed one run on two hits.
Dakota State awaits until March 4 as they kick off their eight-game Tucson (Ariz.) Invitational Games. The Trojans face Missouri Valley and Siena Heights (Mich.) on the first day of the tournament.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
