March 28, 2019
Photo credit by Briar Cliff (Iowa) Athletics
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Briar Cliff (Iowa) pulled away late to earn a non-conference softball doubleheader sweep over Dakota State (S.D.) Thursday at Bishop Mueller Field. The Chargers used a two-run sixth inning to earn a 4-2 victory over the Trojans in the first game. Trailing 5-3 in the nightcap, BCU earned a walk-off victory in the final inning after exploding for three runs to earn a 6-5 victory.
Dakota State, who was playing their first road games this season, dropped their seventh straight game and fell to 3-14 overall record. Briar Cliff improved their overall record to 5-14.
Game 1 – Briar Cliff (Iowa) 4, Dakota State (S.D.) 2 – FINAL
Briar Cliff jumped to a 2-0 lead after two innings, but Dakota State answered back with a run scored in the top fourth and fifth innings to knot the game at 2-2. The Chargers put together two-run sixth inning and held off the Trojans by the score of 4-2.
Johanna Vaske hit a solo home run with two outs to give BCU a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning.
The Chargers made it 2-0 after Taylor Graciano smashed a solo home run with one out in the bottom second.
DSU ended their scoring drought with a run scored in the top third inning, thanks to back-to-back extra-base hits. Taylor Poe led off with a double, followed by Tatum Ronke's RBI triple to score Poe as the Trojans trailed 2-1.
Dakota State added a run in the top fourth. Xitlali Lopez started the inning with a single. Jasmin Lucero followed up with a single and advanced Kailee McFadden – pinch runner for Lopez – to third base. On the same play, the Chargers committed a defensive error to allow McFadden to score and tied the game at 2-2.
Briar Cliff put together a 2-run sixth inning to regain their lead. Alayna Allen started with a dingle. Madison Deane hit a sacrifice bunt to advance pinch runner Kayla Guerrero to second base.
Graciano and Summer Williams drilled back-to-back RBI doubles as BCU earned a 4-2 lead after the sixth inning.
The Trojans were unable to score in the final inning, securing the victory for the Chargers.
Ronke had a triple and an RBI for DSU. Poe added a double. Lopez, Lucero and Sarah Torres each recorded a single. Melissa Krapf and Lucero each reached on base by a walk.
Graciano led BCU by going 2-of-3 at the plate with a home run, double and drove in two runs. Williams added a double and an RBI. Vaske had a home run and an RBI. Allen, Madison Deane, Lanae Shiley and Abbygail Lint each registered a hit.
BCU outhit DSU 8-5 in the game. Both teams left five runners on base.
Lopez (L, 1-6) tossed a complete game, despite the setback for the Trojans. She gave up four runs on eight hits.
Shiley started the game in the pitching circle for the Chargers. She pitched three innings and allowed two runs (one unearned) on four hits. Allen (W, 3-3) recorded the victory after tossing four scoreless innings, yielding DSU to one hit.
Game 2 – Briar Cliff (Iowa) 6, Dakota State (S.D.) 5 – FINAL
The Chargers started with a 2-0 lead after two innings in the second game, but the Trojans went on to score five straight runs to grab a 5-2 lead after four-and-half innings. Down 5-3 in the final inning, BCU exploded for three runs with no outs to earn a 6-5 walk-off victory over DSU.
With bases loaded situation for Briar Cliff in the bottom first, Graciano recorded an RBI walk to earn a 1-0 lead.
The Chargers had a bases loaded situation in the bottom second frame, Vaske hit an RBI sacrifice fly to extend their lead to 2-0.
Quinn Motichka blasted her first career collegiate home run as the Trojans trailed 2-1 in the top third.
Dakota State plated two runs in the top fourth to overtake the lead from BCU. Lucero and Torres hit back-to-back singles. Ronke added a single to set up a bases loaded situation with one out.
Annalisa Ingui produced a 2-RBI single to score Lucero and Torres as DSU gained a 3-2 lead.
Nicole Stewart led off with a double in the top fifth for the Trojans. Lopez followed up with a 2-run home run and scored Hope Johnson (pinch runner for Stewart) as DSU widen their lead to 5-2. It was Lopez's fourth home run this season, her seventh career home run at Dakota State.
The Chargers added a run in the bottom half of the fifth inning after Graciano's RBI (DSU led 5-3).
Graciano sparked BCU's comeback in the bottom seventh with a lead-off home run, trailing 5-4. Williams followed up with a walk and advanced to third base after Shiley reached on base caused by DSU's defensive error.
Emily Riha hit an RBI single to score Williams as the Chargers knotted the game at 5-5 with no outs in the bottom seventh (Shiley advanced to third base). Nicole Wiles reached on base by an intentional walk to set up a bases loaded situation.
Rachele Heaton reached safely on base caused by DSU's defensive miscue, allowing Shiley to score the game-winning run for a 6-5 victory.
Torres was 3-of-4 at the plate for Dakota State. Ronke added two singles and swiped one base. Motichka had a home run, single and an RBI. Lopez had a home run and drove in two runs. Stewart had a double and single. Lucero had a single.
Graciano had a home run and collected three RBIs for Briar Cliff. Heaton added two singles and an RBI. Shiley had a double. Vaske and Riha each had a hit and an RBI. Allen reached on base by a walk three times and recorded a single.
DSU outhit BCU 12-10. The Chargers left 14 runners on base while the Trojans had eight runners left on base.
Dakota State recorded a double play defensively by Lopez, Torres and Lucero.
Gollin (L, 2-4) took the loss after tossing six-plus innings, giving up six runs (two unearned) on 10 hits.
Allen started the game for the Chargers, allowing three runs on eight hits. Lint worked for 2/3 innings in relief, giving up two runs on two hits. Guerrero (W, 1-0) earned the win after tossing three scoreless innings. She limited the Trojans to two hits.
Up Next
Dakota State looks to halt their losing skid as they return back to North Star Athletic Association conference action this weekend. The Trojans were originally scheduled to host Waldorf (Iowa) in a four-game series, but was forced to relocate the game to Norfolk, Neb. The doubleheader starts at 2 p.m. each day on Saturday and Sunday. The name of the softball field has not been announced yet.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
