April 24, 2019
MADISON, S.D. – Nationally-ranked Bellevue (Neb.) pounded out 34 hits and scored 35 hits to spoil Dakota State's (S.D.) home opener at Flynn Field Wednesday afternoon. The Bruins used a pair of late offense surge to sweep the Trojans by the scores of 19-5 and 16-0, completing their four-game North Star Athletic Association conference series season series sweep.
Dakota State, who was playing their first home games of the season for the first time since April 29, 2017, fell to 3-32 overall record and 1-19 NSAA conference. Bellevue, ranked No. 25 in the latest NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, extended their winning streak to 15 games and raised their overall record to 35-14 and 19-1 record in North Star contests. The Bruins maintained their one-game lead in the NSAA conference standings.
It was the first time in the all-time series meeting that Bellevue had played at Flynn Field. The series began in 2003 when the Trojans played the Bruins in the NAIA Super Regionals best-of-three series in Omaha, Neb.
Game 1 – (25) Bellevue (Neb.) 19, Dakota State (S.D.) 5 – FINAL
Holding on to an 8-5 lead after seven innings in the nine-inning game, Bellevue pulled away late by outscoring Dakota State 11-0 in the final two innings to secure the victory.
The Trojans earned the first lead of the game after scoring two runs in the bottom first. Alec Gannon led off with a single. He swiped to second base. Chris Burke hit a single and advanced Gannon to third base. A wild pitch by the Bruins allowed Gannon to score to give DSU a 1-0 lead (Burke advanced to third base on the same play).
Jerrett Plunkett followed up with an RBI ground out to score Burke, extending Trojans lead to 2-0 after the first inning.
The Bruins answered back with a pair of runs in the top second frame. Tommy Hansen drilled a double and advanced to third base after Riley Baasch's single. Austin Alexander produced an RBI single to score Hansen as BU trailed 2-1 (Baasch advanced to third base).
Bellevue tied the game at 2-2 in the top second as Stuart Eurich recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to score Baasch.
Travis Tanaka led off the top third inning with a double. Kory Langaker followed up with a 2-run home run to balloon BU's lead to 4-2.
The Bruins added a run in the top fifth, thanks to Longaker's lead-off double. He swiped to third base. JT Patterson followed up with an RBI single to score Longaker for BU's 5-2 lead.
Tanaka hit a 2-run home run to expand Bellevue's lead to 7-2 in the top sixth frame.
Dakota State ended their scoring drought in the bottom half of the sixth inning, plating three runs. Gannon led off with a double. He advanced to third base after Burke's ground out. Plunkett produced an RBI single to score Gannon as the Trojans cut the Bruins' lead to 7-3.
Plunkett swiped to second base in the bottom sixth for DSU. Christian Sanchez hit a ground out to advance Plunkett to third base. Marcos Alvarez hit an RBI single to score Plunkett as Dakota State trailed 7-4.
The Trojans reduced their deficit to 7-5 as Jalen Boyd followed up with an RBI double to score Alvarez in the bottom sixth.
Baasch blasted a solo home run in the top seventh inning to extend BU's lead to 8-5. The Bruins added two more runs in the top eight to make it 10-5.
Bellevue exploded for three runs in the top ninth, highlighted by three home runs. Hansen led off with a solo home run, followed by Alexander's 2-run home run for BU's 13-5. Baasch added a 3-run home run to widen BU's lead to 19-5.
Gannon had a double, single and a stolen base for the Trojans. Plunkett added a single, drove in two runs and swiped one base. Alvarez and Boyd each added a hit and an RBI. Burke recorded a single.
Bellevue hit six home runs in the game. Baasch finished the game with two home runs, double, single and drove in four runs. Tanaka and Longaker each added three hits, including a home run, and tallied three RBIs. Alexander had a home run, single and earned three RBIs. Hansen also had a home run, double and single.
The Bruins outhit the Trojans 21-7 in the game. BU left six runners on base while DSU had two runners left on base.
Boyd (L, 0-1) recorded the defeat on the pitching mound for Dakota State. He tossed seven innings (career-high) and gave up eight runs on 12 hits. He recorded two strikeouts. Ryan Peterson, Micah DeHarty, Max Luesebrink and Jared Urbach also worked in relief.
Graham (W, 3-1) earned the victory after working for six-plus innings. He allowed five runs on seven hits. Brandon Desjardins (S, 1) recorded the save as he shut down the Trojans in the final three innings. Graham and Desjardins each struck out six DSU's batters.
Game 2 – (25) Bellevue (Neb.) 16, Dakota State (S.D.) 0 – FINAL
Bellevue held Dakota State to no hits in the second game of the doubleheader, securing a 16-0 victory. BU tallied 13 hits in the game.
After three scoreless innings, the Bruins' offense exploded for eight runs in the top fourth inning for 8-0 lead.
Patterson smashed a 2-run home run in the top sixth inning to balloon BU's lead to 10-0.
Bellevue produced a six-run seventh inning to make it 16-0 lead, highlighted by Wataru Kazama's 2-RBI single double followed by Longaker's 3-run home run.
Patterson and Longaker each had a home run and single for the Bruins. Patterson drove in four runs, while Longaker collected three RBIs. Hunter Jury had two hits and an RBI.
The Bruins left five runners on base, while the Trojans had a runner left on base.
Adam Berryhill started the game for DSU, tossing three scoreless innings. Burke (L, 0-6) recorded the loss after pitching for one out in the top fourth inning, giving up eight runs (three unearned) on three hits. Trey Randel pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief. Andrew Dayton, Samuel Drummond and Logan Dexter also worked in relief.
Mitch Savine (W, 4-3) recorded the victory, while Derek Browne combined a shutout game after tossing a scoreless seventh inning. Savine registered seven strikeouts.
Up Next
Dakota State stays at home for their next North Star's four-game series. The Trojans were originally scheduled to play on Saturday and Sunday at Flynn Field, but now has been pushed back to Friday-Saturday. DSU hosts Viterbo (Wis.) in the doubleheader on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
Bellevue stays on the road as they battle Waldorf (Iowa) as the top two teams in the North Star conference. The four-game series begin on Saturday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m., followed by another doubleheader on Sunday at 12 p.m. in Forest City, Iowa.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
