April 20, 2021

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credit by Cody Welu

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) concluded their season-long six-game home stand at a chilly Flynn Field Tuesday late afternoon.  The Trojans upset the North Star Athletic Association's leader and nationally ranked Bellevue (Neb.) in a 5-0 shutout in a nine-inning contest, thanks to a pair of 2-home runs by Josh Van Beek and Chris Kropuenske along with Logan Terfehr's complete game two-hit and 11 strikeouts performance on the pitching mound.

Bellevue, who qualified to the NAIA Baseball National Tournament for nine straight seasons, followed up with a 10-0 shutout in the second game (seven-inning contest) to earn a season series victory over Dakota State.

Dakota State is 17-18 overall record and 10-10 NSAA conference record, finishing their six-game home stand with a 4-2 record.  It was the first time since the 2016 season that the Trojans had posted double-digit North Star conference victories (13 NSAA victories in 2016).  It was the first victory for DSU over the NAIA's Top 25 nationally ranked team from the North Star Athletic Association since the league was formed in 2013-14.

Bellevue, ranked No. 25 in the latest NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end in the first game.  The Bruins are 27-11 overall record and 9-3 record in the league.  BU have not played since April 6 after a doubleheader sweep over DSU in Omaha, Neb., due to COVID protocols. 

It was the first-ever home victory for the Trojans over the Bruins at Flynn Field in series meeting history.  It was also the first North Star conference victory for DSU over BU since Bellevue joined the North Star conference in 2015-16 season.

The victory also ended DSU's 19-game losing skid in the series meeting with BU, with the last victory coming on April 6, 2012 at Bellevue.  It was also the first time in series meeting that Dakota State did not allow Bellevue to score a run.

Dakota State continues its NSAA action this weekend as they play their final road conference series of the season.  The Trojans visit Dickinson State (N.D.) in a four-game series, with a doubleheader starting on Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT)/1 p.m. (MT).  Both teams will play another doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT)/12 p.m. (MT).  The four-game series is held at Astoria Field in Dickinson, N.D.

Game 1:  Dakota State (S.D.) 5, (25) Bellevue (Neb.) 0 – FINAL

• The Trojans took the first lead of the game in the bottom third fame.  Shain Kimmes reached safely on base after BU's defensive miscue.  Chris Burke followed up with a single to advance Alec Gannon, courtesy runner for Kimmes, to second base.  Jackson O'Neal hit a fielder's choice to advance Gannon to third base, while Burke was forced out at third base.
• Jace Pribyl produced an RBI sacrifice fly to score Gannon to give Dakota State a 1-0 lead in the bottom third.
• The Bruins were only threatened to score in the top fourth inning with two hits, which was only recorded in the first game of the nine-inning contest.  Riley Baasch had a double and left runner on third and second bases when the top fourth inning ended. 
• Samuel Drummond led off the bottom fourth with a single, followed by Van Beek's first career collegiate home run by blasting a 2-run home run.  Dakota State's lead ballooned to 3-0 after four innings.
• O'Neal kicked off the bottom fifth with a walk but was forced out at second base after Pribyl's fielder choice.  Chris Kropuenske drilled a 2-run home run as DSU grew their lead to 5-0.  It was his eighth home run this season for the Trojans.
• DSU's Terfehr retired 15 of 16 BU batters from the fifth through the ninth inning to secure the victory.  He only issued a walk to Baasch in the top seventh frame.
• Van Beek sparked the Trojans' offense attack by going 2-of-3 at the plate with a home run, single and drove in two runs.  Kropuenske added a home run and two RBIs.  Drummond tallied a double and single.  Pribyl hit a single and collected an RBI.  Burke hit two singles.  Mason Macaluso had a single.
• Baasch led the Bruins with a double and reached on base by a walk twice.  Josh Vaughan added a single. 
• DSU outhit BU 9-2 in the game.  The Trojans left seven runners on base compared to the Bruins three runners left on base.
• Terfehr (W, 1-0) earned his first collegiate pitching victory in his first career start for Dakota State. 
• Charlie Patterson (L, 5-1) suffered its first pitching setback of the season for Bellevue after tossing 4 2/3 innings.  He gave up five runs (one unearned) on nine hits.  Graham Cahill pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings in relief.  He recorded four strikeouts and issued two walks.

Game 2:  (25) Bellevue (Neb.) 10, Dakota State (S.D.) 0 – FINAL

• The second game of the doubleheader saw the Bruins shutting down the Trojans, highlighted by Corey Jackson's complete game with two hits allowed and struck out 13 DSU batters.
• Dakota State was unable to score first in the bottom first inning, despite leaving runners on third and first bases.  O'Neal hit a double in the opening inning for the Trojans. 
• Bellevue grabbed its first lead of the game in the top second with three runs scored, thanks to a pair of extra-base hits.  Baasch led off with a walk, followed by Chad Lopez's 2-run home run to give BU a 2-0 advantage.
• Nic Metcalf reached on base by a walk with one out in the top second frame for BU, he swiped to second base after Zach Diehl's strikeout.  Alec Lee followed up with an RBI double, scoring Metcalf to extend Bellevue's lead to 3-0.
• The Bruins added another three-run production in the top fifth inning.  Cody Banks hit a solo home run with one out to make it 4-0 in favor of BU.  The offense production continued as Baasch hit a single and advanced to third base after Lopez's double.  Daniel Teasley hit an RBI sacrifice bunt to score Baasch to make it 5-0 Bruins (Lopez advanced to third base).
• A wild pitch committed by the Trojans allowed Lopez to score to widen Bellevue's lead to 6-0 in the top fifth.
• BU scored four more runs in the top seventh inning, highlighted by Metcalf's 3-run home run.  The Bruins added a run caused by DSU's defensive miscue to make it 10-0 Bellevue.
• O'Neal had a double for Dakota State.  Pribyl added a single.  Van Beek reached on base by a walk. 
• Banks and Lopez each hit a home run and double for Bellevue.  Lopez had two RBIs while Banks added an RBI.  Metcalf had a home run, drove in three runs, and recorded two walks.  Lee hit two doubles and an RBI.  Diehl had two singles. 
• The Bruins tallied 11 hits in the game compared to the Trojans two hits.  BU left seven runners on base, while DSU had four runners left on base.
• Kahlil Tilbury (L, 1-2) took the defeat after tossing two innings for DSU.  He gave up three runs on two hits.  JD Kirchner pitched two scoreless innings in relief, yielding two hits.  Tilbury and Kirchner each recorded three strikeouts.
• Grant Svikulis worked the fifth inning for Dakota State.  Max Luesebrink tossed the final two innings in relief.
• Jackson (W, 6-2) earned a complete game for Bellevue.  He only issued one walk.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director