March 30, 2019

FOREST CITY, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) jumped to a 2-0 lead over Waldorf (Iowa) in the first game of the North Star Athletic Association baseball four-game series Saturday afternoon at Forest City High School Baseball Field.  The Warriors held on to a 7-6 thriller, earning a walk-off victory in the bottom ninth inning.  WU used a 13-run fifth inning in the second game to pull away past the Trojans by the score of 20-4. 

Dakota State fell to 3-15 overall record and 1-5 record in conference play.  Waldorf improved to 12-12 overall record and opened up their North Star conference play with a 2-0 record.

Both teams wrap up their four-game series Sunday afternoon with another doubleheader, starting at 12 noon.

Game 1 – Waldorf (Iowa) 7, Dakota State (S.D.) 6 – FINAL

Dakota State took the first lead of the game in the top first inning of the nine-inning game.  Chris Burke reached safely on base caused by WU's defensive error.  Samuel Drummond hit a single with two outs and advanced Burke to second base.  On the same play, the Warriors committed another defensive miscue to allow Burke to score for DSU 1-0 lead.

The Trojans added another run in the top third frame, thanks to a pair of doubles by Jalen Boyd and Marcos Alvarez.  Alvarez produced the RBI double to score Boyd to extend DSU's lead to 2-0.

Waldorf ended their scoring drought with three runs scored in the bottom sixth inning.  Joey Ponder led off with a double.  He advanced to third base after Brett Stenlund's sacrifice bunt.  The Warriors scored its first run after DSU's wild pitch to score Ponder (WU trailed 2-1).

Dusty Rogers blasted a 2-run home run with two outs as the Warriors overtake a 3-2 lead over the Trojans in the bottom sixth.

WU added a run in the bottom seventh to make it 4-2.  Cal Fazzio led off with a single.  Mark Dittrich – pinch runner for Fazzio – advanced to second base after Jack Muhleck's sacrifice bunt.  Ponder produced an RBI single to score Dittrich to widen WU's lead by two runs.

Dakota State mounted a comeback in the top eighth inning to regain their lead.  Drummond kicked off the inning with a single.  Micah DeHarty – pinch runner for Drummond – advanced to second base after a balk committed by the Warriors.  Ryan Jackovich hit an RBI single with two outs to score DeHarty as the Trojans trailed 4-3.

Noah Hammond followed up with a walk and advanced Jackovich to second base for the Trojans.  The Warriors committed a wild pitch to advance Alec Gannon (pinch runner for Jackovich) to third base and Hammond to second base.  Keaton Hoeke was hit-by-pitch to set up a bases loaded situation for the Trojans.

DSU continued its scoring surge in the top eighth inning as Jerrett Plunkett drilled a 3-RBI double to score Gannon, Hammond and Hoeke as the Trojans regained their lead to 6-4.

Waldorf would answer back with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning, thanks to back-to-back RBI doubles by Matthew Garcia and Fazzio.  Garrett Gillen was hit-by-pitch, followed by Garcia and Fazzio's RBI doubles to tie the game at 6-6.

Ponder kicked off the bottom ninth inning with a walk.  Matt Palmer hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Ponder to second base.  Stenlund reached on base by an intentional walk.  Both Ponder and Brady Thompson (courtesy runner for Stenlund) advanced one base caused by DSU's wild pitch.  Gillen reached first base after an intentional walk.

Rogers produced a walk-off RBI single to score Ponder as the Warriors opened up their conference play with a 7-6 victory.

Plunkett led the Trojans with a double, single and drove in three runs.  Boyd added a double and single.  He swiped one base.  Drummond and Jackovich each had two hits.  Alvarez had a double and an RBI.  Adrian Butrimas recorded a hit.

Rogers had a home run, single and collected three RBIs for the Warriors.  Ponder added a double, single and an RBI.  Garcia and Fazzio each had two hits and an RBI.  Gillen had a hit. 

WU outhit DSU 11-10 in the game.  The Trojans left eight runners on base compared to the Warriors seven runners left on base. 

Adam Berryhill started the game on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He tossed 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits.  He struck out five WU's batters.  Max Luesebrink worked the final out of the seventh inning.  Sage Hudson pitched for two outs in the eighth inning.  Trey Randel (L, 1-3) took the loss in relief after working for two outs, giving up a run on one hit.

Heath Chapman pitched for 7 2/3 innings and allowed six runs (one unearned) on eight hits for Waldorf.  He recorded six strikeouts.  Andrew Benns (W, 2-2) earned the win after tossing 1 1/3 innings in relief, limiting the Trojans to two hits.

Game 2 – Waldorf (Iowa) 20, Dakota State (S.D.) 4 – FINAL

Holding a slim 5-4 lead heading to the bottom half of the fifth inning, Waldorf exploded for 13 runs to pull away past Dakota State to complete a doubleheader sweep.

The Warriors raced to a 4-0 lead in the bottom first inning.  Ponder and Alejandro Gonzalez led off with back-to-back singles.  Both runners advanced one base after DSU's wild pitch.  Palmer reached on base by a walk to set up a bases loaded situation.

Stenlund hit an RBI single to score Ponder and Gonzalez for WU's 2-0 lead.  On the same play, the Trojans committed a defensive error to allow Palmer to score to extend Warriors' lead to 3-0 (Stenlund advanced to third base).

Waldorf made it 4-0 in the bottom first after Gillen recorded an RBI ground out to score Garrett Munoz (courtesy runner for Stenlund).

Dakota State plated three runs in the top third inning.  Burke kicked off with a single.  Boyd reached on base caused by WU's defensive miscue and advanced Burke to third base.  Drummond hit an RBI single to score Burke (and advanced Boyd to third base) as DSU trailed 4-1.

The Trojans continued their scoring chances as Alvarez hit an RBI single to center field to score Boyd to cut WU's lead to 4-2.  Tanner Landman smashed an RBI double to score Alvarez to trim Trojans' deficit down by one run at 4-3.

Garcia hit a single with one out in the bottom fourth inning.  He swiped to second base and advanced to third base after Fazzio's single.  The Warriors made it 5-3 after Jack Muhleck's RBI sacrifice fly to score Garcia.

Landman reached on base by a walk with one out in the top fifth for DSU.  Johnny Moran and Hoeke registered back-to-back hit-by-pitches and advanced Landman to third base.  Plunkett hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Landman as the Trojans trailed 5-4. 

Waldorf's offense exploded for 13 runs in the bottom fifth on 11 hits to balloon their lead to 18-4.

Munoz had an RBI double and Keiton Leppert added an RBI sacrifice fly as the Warriors' lead grew to 20-4 in the bottom sixth.

Drummond and Landman each had a double, single and an RBI for the Trojans.  Boyd added a double.  Burke had two singles.  Plunkett and Alvarez each collected an RBI.

Stenlund went 3-of-4 at the plate with a double, two singles and drove in three runs for the Warriors.  Gillen added a triple, single and recorded a game-high four RBIs.  Ponder, Rogers, Garcia and Fazzio each had two hits.  Fazzio had three RBIs.

Waldorf outhit Dakota State 18-8.  The Trojans committed five defensive errors compared to the Warriors one error.

DeHarty (L, 1-3) recorded the loss for DSU.  He pitched four innings and allowed eight runs (three unearned) on six hits.  Luesebrink, Ryan Peterson and Andrew Dayton also worked in relief.

Kyle Froom (W, 4-1) notched the victory on the pitching mound for WU.  He tossed 4 1/3 innings and gave up four runs (one unearned) on seven hits.  Nicholas Ray (S, 1) earned the save after holding the Trojans scoreless in 2 1/3 innings.  He limited the Trojans to one hit.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director