February 20, 2022

PHOTO GALLERY - Photos credit by Cody Welu

BRANDON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) played a non-conference baseball doubleheader closer to home Sunday afternoon, earning another non-conference sweep at Aspen Park.  The Trojans extended their winning streak to five games after sweeping past long-time rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 3-2 in the first game and held on to an 8-6 victory in the second game.

Dakota State lifted their overall record to 5-1, their best start since the 2007 season where the Trojans started the season at 22-0. Dakota Wesleyan was playing its season opener on Sunday.

It was DSU's first win over DWU since March 22, 2016.  In addition, Dakota State recorded its first doubleheader sweep of the Tigers since March 21, 2012.

The Trojans continue their action on the road, visiting Central Christian (Kan.) in a four-game series in McPherson, Kan.  The four-game series kick off on Friday with a doubleheader and play another doubleheader on Saturday.

Game 1:  Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 2 – FINAL

• Dakota State earned the first lead of the game in the bottom first inning, thanks to defensive miscues caused by Dakota Wesleyan.
• Noah Angstadt hit a single with one out in the bottom first for DSU.  Jace Pribyl reached safely on base by DWU's error, advancing Angstadt to third base.  Angstadt scored home after DWU committed a defensive error to give DSU a 1-0 lead.
• Mason Macaluso reached safely on base after a defensive error by the Tigers, allowing Pribyl to score to balloon DSU's lead to 2-0 in the bottom first frame.
• DWU scored once in the top third inning.  Kyler Halverson led off with a single and scored home after Drew Kitchens' RBI double, trimming DSU's lead to 2-1.
• Angstadt hit a single with one out in the bottom third.  Kameron Bryant added a single and advanced Angstadt to third base.  Angstadt scored home as the Trojans extended their lead to 3-2.
• The Tigers added a run in the top fifth inning.  Luke LeMay led off the inning with a single.  He swiped to second base.  Kitchens produced an RBI single to score LeMay as DWU trailed 3-2.
• Dakota State secured the victory in the top seventh inning as Dakota Wesleyan left a runner on base when the game ended.
• Macaluso had a double and an RBI for the Trojans.  Angstadt collected two singles, scored twice, and recorded a stolen base.  Bryant and Chris Burke each recorded a hit.  Walker Hultgren had a walk. 
• Kitchens went 2-of-3 at the plate with a double, single, and drove in two runs for DWU.  LeMay and Hlaverson each recorded a single.  LeMay swiped two bases.
• Mitsuki Shimonishi (W, 1-0) earned the victory for Dakota State.  He tossed five innings and allowed two runs on four hits.  He struck out seven DWU batters.  Cameron Pitts (S, 2) earned the save after pitching two shutout innings in relief.
• Matt Bezdicek (L, 0-1) notched the setback on the pitching mound for Dakota Wesleyan.  He worked for four innings and allowed three runs (one unearned) on four hits.  Bradley Dean pitched two innings in relief, limiting the Trojans to one hit.  Each pitcher recorded three strikeouts.

Game 2:  Dakota State (S.D.) 8, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 6 – FINAL

• Dakota State used a six-run fifth inning in the second game of the doubleheader and held off Dakota Wesleyan's late comeback for an 8-6 victory.
• Bryant smashed a solo home run in the bottom second frame to give DSU its first lead of the game at 1-0.
• The Tigers snapped its scoring drought with a pair of solo home runs in the top fourth inning.  Daulton Wilcoxen hit a solo home run to knot the game at 1-1.  DWU earned a 2-1 lead after LeMay's solo home run.
• DSU answered with a run scored in the bottom half of the fourth inning.  Pribyl led off with a double.  Macaluso hit an RBI single to score Alec Gannon, pinch runner for Pribyl, as the Trojans tied the game at 2-2.
• The Trojans exploded for six runs in the bottom fifth inning, highlighted by three solo home runs.  Hultgren, Ryan McDaniel, and Angstadt each hit a solo home run to balloon DSU's lead to 5-2.
• After Pribyl reached on base by DWU's error, DSU continued its scoring run as Bryant drilled an RBI double to score Pribyl for 6-2 Trojans lead. 
• Chris Burke hit a single to advance Bryant to third base in the bottom fifth.  Bryant scored on a passed ball committed by the Tigers, widening DSU's lead to 7-2. 
• Dakota State made it 8-2 after Burke scored home caused by DWU's defensive miscue.
• Wyatt Hunt hit a single, followed by LeMay's hit-by-pitch for the Tigers in the top sixth.  Seth Christiansen hit a 3-run home run as DWU trimmed DSU's to 8-5.
• Carter Gullickson hit a solo home run in the top seventh inning as the Tigers trailed 8-6.
• Devin DeBoer (S, 1) went on to retire the next three batters, securing the victory for DSU.
• Bryant went 2-of-3 at the plate with a home run, double and tallied two RBIs for the Trojans.  McDaniel, Angstadt, and Hultgren each hit a solo home run and produced an RBI.
• Burke added two singles for Dakota State.  Macaluso added two hits and an RBI.  Pribyl had a double.
• Christiansen had a home run and recorded three RBIs for Dakota Wesleyan.  Hunt added two hits.
• Gullickson, Wilcoxen and LeMay each had a home run and an RBI for the Tigers.
• Will Clair started the game on the pitching mound for DSU.  He pitched four innings and allowed two runs on three hits.  He recorded six strikeouts.  Noah Daugherty worked for one out in the fifth inning.
• Cole Westerlund (W, 1-0) was credited the victory after tossing 1 2/3 innings.  He struck out four DWU batters.
• Jacob Hammons started the game for the first three innings, allowing a run on three hits for the Tigers.  Jacob Glovich (L, 0-1) recorded the defeat after working for 1 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits.
• Jereko Martinez worked for the final two outs of the fifth inning, allowing four runs (two unearned) on three hits. Wilcoxen tossed a shutout sixth inning in relief.
• DSU outhit DWU 10-6.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director