March 24, 2022

MADISON, S.D. – Mayville State (N.D.) took advantage of early leads over Dakota State (S.D.) in the North Star Athletic Association baseball action Thursday afternoon at Flynn Field.  The Comets opened the four-game series with a doubleheader sweep over the Trojans by the scores of 9-5 in the first game and 4-3 in the second game.  It was the season home opener for DSU.

Dakota State fell to 15-9 overall record and 3-3 NSAA conference record.  Mayville State raised their overall record to 8-7 and 5-1 record in the league.

Both teams wrap up their four-game series with another doubleheader Friday afternoon at Flynn Field.  First game is set for 1 p.m.

Game 1 – Mayville State (N.D.) 9, Dakota State (S.D.) 5 – FINAL

• Mayville State jumped to a 4-0 lead in the opening inning of a nine-inning contest.  Sammy Satrom led off with a single.  Anthony Villanueva reached safely on base caused by DSU's defensive error and advanced Satrom to second base.  Carson Lundmark added a bunt single to set up a bases loaded situation.
• Alan LaRocque hit a 2-RBI single to score Satrom and Villanueva to give MSU a 2-0 lead with no outs in the top first.  The Comets extended their lead to 4-0 after back-to-back RBI singles by Marcus Hughes and Ricky Marquez.
• The Trojans plated once in the bottom half of the first frame.  Ryan McDaniel led off with a walk.  Noah Angstadt hit a single to advance Alec Gannon, courtesy runner for McDaniel, to second base. 
• Kameron Bryant drilled an RBI double to score Gannon as the Trojans trailed 4-1.  Angstadt was tagged out at home on the same play as the Trojans could not convert additional scoring chances in the bottom first.
• Lundarmk and LaRocque hit back-to-back doubles to start the top fourth inning for Mayville State (Lundmark advanced to third base).  The Comets made it 5-1 after a passed ball by the Trojans, allowing Lundmark to score (LaRocque advanced to third).
• Mayville State made it 6-1 as Hughes produced an RBI sacrifice bunt to score LaRocque in the top fourth.
• Dakota State answered with two runs in the bottom fifth frame.  Seth Altwine led off with a double.  Angstadt reached safely on base after MSU's error and advanced Altwine to third base.
• Bryant hit an RBI single to score Altwine as the Trojans trailed 6-2 in the bottom fourth (Angstadt advanced to third).  Mason Macaluso hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Angstadt as DSU cut MSU's lead to 6-3.
• The Comets scored twice in the top sixth inning, highlighted by LaRocque's RBI double and Jared McCorrister's RBI single to balloon their lead to 8-3.
• Hughes drilled a lead-off double in the top seventh inning for Mayville State.  He advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt by Marquez.  Hughes scored home after DSU's wild pitch as MSU's lead grew to 9-3.
• The Trojans scored twice in the bottom half of the seventh inning.  Altwine started with a walk.  McDaniel followed up with a single to advance Altwine to second base.  Altwine and Gannon (courtesy runner for McDaniel) advanced one base after MSU's wild pitch.
• Bryant recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to score Altwine as the Trojans trailed 9-4 in the bottom seventh.  Gannon scored home after a wild pitch committed by the Comets as DSU trimmed MSU's lead to 9-5.
• Both teams did not score in the final two innings as the Comets secured the victory.
• Bryant sparked the Trojans' offense with a double, single, and tallied three RBIs.  Altwine added a double and a walk.  McDaniel and Walker Hultgren each recorded a hit and a walk.  Angstadt had a single.
• Bryant, Hultgren, and Altwine each swiped one base for DSU.
• Hughes was perfect at the plate by going 4-of-4 with two doubles, two singles and drove in two runs for the Comets.  LaRocque added two doubles, single, and three RBIs.  Lundmark drilled three doubles, single and scored three times.
• Satrom registered two hits for MSU.  McCOrrister and Marquez each had a hit and an RBI.
• Mayville State outhit Dakota State 15-6 in the game. 
• JD Kirchner (L, 2-3) recorded the defeat on the pitching mound for DSU.  He tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs (three unearned) on 11 hits.  He struck out six MSU's batters.  Kahlil Tilbury worked for 1 2/3 innings relief, giving up a run on three hits.  He recorded three strikeouts.  Devin DeBoer tossed two scoreless innings, yielding the Comets to one hit.
• Matt Johnston (W, 1-0) earned the victory after tossing four innings for MSU.  He limited the Trojans to one run on two hits.  Alex DeCaro worked for 3 2/3 innings in relief, giving up four runs on four hits.  Calvin Watkins pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings and added three strikeouts.

Game 2 – Mayville State (N.D.) 4, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL

• Mayville State earned a 3-0 lead after two-and-half innings and held off Dakota State's late comeback to secure a 4-3 game two victory.
• LaRocque led off the top second inning with a double for MSU.  He advanced to third base after McCorrister's ground out.  The Trojans committed a passed ball with two outs to allow LaRocque to score as the Comets led 1-0.
• Lundmark hit an RBI single followed by LaRocque's RBI double as Mayville State's lead grew to 3-0 in the top third frame.
• McDaniel started the bottom half of the third inning with a double.  Macaluso hit an RBI double to score Bennett Osborn (courtesy runner for McDaniel) as the Trojans trailed 3-1.
• McCorrister produced an RBI single in the top sixth inning to widen MSU's lead to 4-1.
• Dakota State mounted a furious comeback in the bottom seventh frame.  Jackson O'Neal started with a double.  Altwine reached safely on base by MSU's error, advancing Gannon (pinch runner for O'Neal) to third base.
• McDaniel recorded an RBI bunt single to score Gannon as the Trojans cut the Comets' lead to 4-2 (Altwine advanced to third base) in the bottom seventh.
• Macaluso hit an RBI single to score Altwine as the Trojans reduced their deficit to 4-3 in the bottom seventh inning.
• DSU could not continue their scoring chances as MSU secured the victory.  The Trojans left two runners on base when the game ended.
• McDaniel was 3-of-4 at the plate with a double, two singles, and an RBI for Dakota State.  Macaluso added a double, single, and drove in two runs.  O'Neal tallied a double and single.  Chris Burke recorded a single.
• Marquez was 3-of-3 at the plate with three singles for Mayville State.  LaRocque had two doubles and an RBI.  McCorrister tallied two singles and an RBI.  Satrom, Villanueva and Lundmark each had a hit.
• MSU outhit DSU 10-9 in the game.  The Trojans left eight runners on base compared to the Comets three runners left on base.
• Mitsuki Shimonishi (L, 3-1) took the defeat after working for 5 1/3 innings on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He allowed four runs on seven hits.  Nicholi Arbach worked for 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, giving up three hits.
• AJ Artis (W, 2-0) earned the victory for Mayville State.  He worked for five innings and yielded one run on six hits.  Connor Cory worked for one inning and gave up two runs (one unearned) on one hit.  Calvin Watkins (S, 1) earned the save after pitching one inning and allowed two hits.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director