February 28, 2021
ST. GEORGE, Kan. – Briar Cliff (Iowa) used a late-game offensive outburst to complete the three-game baseball series sweep over Dakota State (S.D.), earning 14-5 and 10-3 victories Sunday at Rock Creek High School baseball field (turf field).
The Trojans fell to 0-5 overall record. The Chargers, a member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, stayed undefeated with an overall record of 7-0.
Dakota State is scheduled to face Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on the road Tuesday evening. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Drake Field in Mitchell, S.D.
Game 1: Briar Cliff (Iowa) 14, Dakota State (S.D.) 5 – FINAL
- The Chargers pulled away past the Trojans after leading 3-2 in the first three innings in the first game of the doubleheader. BCU outscored DSU 11-3 in the final four innings of the game.
- Briar Cliff recorded a pair of extra-base hits to produce three runs in the top first. Harrison Jestel hit an RBI double, while Jake Allen drilled a 2-RBI triple to give Chargers a 3-0 lead.
- DSU answered with a run scored in the bottom half of the first frame, despite leaving a bases loaded situation when the inning ended. Ryan McDaniel led off with a single. Jackson O'Neal followed with a single to advance Micah DeHarty (courtesy runner for McDaniel) to second base.
- The Trojans hit their third consecutive single of the first inning. Jace Pribyl hit a single to set up a bases loaded situation with no outs. Esai Hernandez hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score DeHarty as Dakota State trailed 3-1.
- DSU added a run in the bottom second inning. Jeremiah Zimmerman reached safely on base caused by BCU's defensive error. After Josh Addington's ground out to advance Zimmerman to second base, McDaniel hit a single to advance Zimmerman to third base.
- O'Neal produced an RBI single to score Zimmerman as the Trojans cut Briar Cliff's lead to 3-2 in the bottom second inning.
- The Chargers scored three runs in the top fourth inning, highlighted by Mike Anthony's RBI double and Matthew Hmielewski's RBI single. Briar Cliff led 6-2 after four innings.
- BCU exploded for six runs in the top fifth inning to balloon their lead to 12-2.
- Briar Cliff made it 13-2 in the top sixth after Allen's solo home run.
- Graham Palsma hit an RBI single in the top seventh inning to widen the Chargers' lead to 14-2.
- McDaniel led off the bottom seventh frame with a single. O'Neal and Pribyl followed up with back-to-back walks to set up a bases loaded situation for the Trojans.
- Hernandez produced an RBI walk to score McDaniel as DSU trailed 14-3. The Trojans added two more runs with Mason Macaluso's RBI single to score Pribyl and Zimmeran's RBI walk (DSU trailed 14-5).
- Both teams registered 10 hits in the game. The Trojans committed six defensive miscues compared to the Chargers two errors.
- McDaniel was 3-of-4 at the plate for DSU. O'Neal, Macaluso and Pribyl each added two hits. Hernandez had a single and drove in two runs.
- O'Neal, Pribyl, Hernandez, Chris Kropunske and Zimmerman each had a walk for Dakota State.
- Allen paced BCU with a home run, triple and drove in three runs. Jestel added two doubles and an RBI. Cyler Melvin, Jake Federico, Graham Palsma, Connor Lange and Mike Anthony each recorded a hit.
- Chris Burke (L, 0-1) recorded the defeat after tossing 3 2/3 innings on the pitching mound for the Trojans. He gave up six runs (one unearned) on six hits. Billy Plummer worked for one inning in relief. Max Luesebrink pitched 1 1/3 innings, while Gage Nagy worked the seventh inning.
- Dalen Blair started the game for the Chargers, pitching 1 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs (one unearned) on five hits. Nicholas Cole (W, 1-0) tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings for the victory, yielding DSU to three hits. He recorded five strikeouts. Tyler Kjose, Darnell Prince and Austin Carter also pitched in relief.
- The Trojans left 10 runners on base compared to the Chargers six runners left on base.
Game 2: Briar Cliff (Iowa) 10, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL
- Dakota State was unable to hold on to their 2-0 lead in the second game of the doubleheader. Briar Cliff exploded for 10 runs in the final two innings to secure a 10-3 victory.
- The Trojans scored the first run of the game in the bottom first. McDaniel led off with a walk. Josh Addington advanced to second base after O'Neal's ground out. Pribyl followed up with a single to advance Addington to third base.
- Hernandez produced a ground out RBI to score Addington to give DSU a 1-0 lead in the bottom first frame.
- Dakota State added a run in the bottom fourth. Macaluso led off with a walk. Josh Van Beek hit a single with one out to advance Macaluso to second base. Zimmerman hit an RBI single with two outs and score Macaluso as the Trojans extended their lead to 2-0.
- Briar Cliff exploded for six runs in the top sixth inning, sparked by a lead-off solo home run by Jestel (BCU trailed 2-1). Graham Palsma added an RBI walk to knot the game at 2-2.
- With bases loaded situation in the top sixth, Melvin hit a bases-clearing 3-RBI triple as the Chargers grab a 5-2 lead. BCU made it 6-2 after Jestel's RBI single.
- Samuel Drummond recorded an RBI single to score Hernandez who led off the sixth inning with a single as the Trojans trailed 6-3. Earlier, Hernandez advanced to second after Macaluso's walk, followed by a passed ball by the Chargers to advance Hernandez to third base.
- Briar Cliff scored four more runs in the top seventh inning to complete the final score.
- Pribyl, Hernandez, Macaluso, Van Beek, DeHarty and Zimmerman each hit a single for Dakota State. Hernandez, Drummond, and Zimmerman each produced an RBI.
- McDaniel and Macaluso each reached on base by a walk two times for the Trojans.
- Jestel had a home run, single and drove in two runs for BCU. Melvin had a triple and three RBIs. Jake Federico added a triple. Prince, Allen, Jared Sitzmann, Anthony. and Dawson Forcella each had a hit.
- The Chargers outhit the Trojans 9-6 in the game. BCU left nine runners on base compared to DSU six runners left on base.
- Grant Svikulis started the game and tossed four scoreless innings for Dakota State. He limited the Chargers to two hits. Carver Hultgren (L, 0-1) recorded the setback after pitching 1 1/3 innings in relief, allowing three runs on two hits. Kahlil Tilbury and JD Kirchner also worked in relief.
- Houston Hawkins pitched the first four innings for Briar Cliff, giving up two runs on four hits. Kyler Steinborn (W, 2-0) earned the victory after working for two innings and allowed one run on one hit. Ryan Pearson worked a scoreless seventh inning.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director