April 15, 2022

La CROSSE, Wis. – Dakota State (S.D.) poured in 22 runs and pounded out 25 hits Friday afternoon to open the North Star Athletic Association softball four-game series with a doubleheader sweep over Viterbo (Wis.) at Viterbo Outdoor Activities Complex (OAC).  The Trojans won by the scores of 11-1 five-inning in the first game and pulled away for an 11-6 victory in the second game, extending their winning streak to a season-high five games.

Dakota State improved their overall record to 15-16 and continued its best start in North Star conference play since the league formed in 2013-14 season with a 10-4 record.  The Trojans had won eight times in the last ten NSAA contests.  DSU also won for the 10th time in the last 12 games.

Viterbo fell to 3-27 overall record and remained winless in 14 North Star conference contests (0-14 NSAA record).

Both teams wrap up their NSAA four-game series with another doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.  First game is set for 12 p.m. at Viterbo OAC.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 11, VIterbo (Wis.) 1 – FINAL/5 innings

• Dakota State used a nine-run offensive explosion in the top fifth inning to secure the win in five innings. 
• The Trojans earned the first lead of the game in the top second frame.  Angela Slattery led off with a single and swiped to second base.  Rosie Philop followed up with a single to advance Slattery to third base.
• Philop and Slattery recorded a double steal, as Slattery scored to give DSU a 1-0 lead in the top second.
• Viterbo answered with a run in the bottom half of the second inning.  Jacky Mathews led off with a single and advanced to second after DSU's passed ball.
• Haleigh Zanoni produced an RBI single to score Mathews as the V-Hawks tied the game at 1-1 with two outs in the bottom second.
• DSU regained their lead after plating a run in the top third.  Carrington Entringer and Michelle Evdos led off with back-to-back singles.  With Entringer on third base, Madison Aldendifer recorded an RBI ground out to score Entringer as DSU grabbed a 2-1 lead.
• Dakota State poured in nine runs in the top fifth inning to expand their lead, ignited by a lead-off double by Sarah Torres.  Evdos added a single with one out and advanced Torres to second third base.
• Dakota State made it 3-1 as Torres scored home after VU's passed ball (Evdos advanced to second base) in the top fifth frame.
• Madison Aldendifer and Slattery registered back-to-back walks to set up a bases loaded situation for DSU in the top fifth.  Philop drilled a bases clearing 3-RBI double to balloon their lead to 6-1.
• Lia Chan reached safely on base caused by VU's defensive error, allowing Philop to score for DSU 7-1 lead in the top fifth.  After Elizabeth Whitesides reaching safely on base by another V-Hawks defensive miscue, Torres drilled a 2-RBI double to score Chan and Whitesides to make it 9-1 in favor of the Trojans.
• Entringer added a single to advance Torres to third base for the Trojans in the top fifth.  After Entringer swiped to second base, Evdos reached safely on base by VU's third defensive error in the inning and allowed Entringer and Torres to score for an 11-1 lead.
• Slattery retired the final three Viterbo hitters as Dakota State secured the victory in the bottom fifth inning.
• Five Dakota State tallied multi-hits in the game, led by Torres with two doubles and drove in two runs.  Entringer added three singles and two stolen bases.  Philop had a double, single, and collected 3 RBIs.
• Evdos hit two singles and tallied two RBIs for DSU.  Slattery and Whitesides each had a single.  Slattery swiped two bases. 
• Zanoni led the V-Hawks with a single and an RBI.  Morgan James added a single and a walk.  Mathews recorded a walk and a run scored.
• DSU outhit VU 13-2 in the game.
• Slattery (W, 7-4) tossed a complete game victory in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  She limited the V-Hawks to two singles and gave up a run.  She also struck out VU's batters three times.
• Ella Driebel (L, 1-10) recorded the setback after pitching 4 2/3 innings for Viterbo.  She allowed 10 runs (eight unearned) on 11 hits.  Delaney Ryan worked for the final out in the top fifth inning, giving up an unearned run on two hits.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 11, Viterbo (Wis.) 6 – FINAL

• Dakota State opened the second game with a 5-0 lead and held off Viterbo by the score of 11-6.  The Trojans outscored the V-Hawks 6-2 in the final three innings after holding a slim 5-4 lead.
• The Trojans scored twice in the top fifth inning after the first two batters recorded an out.  Evdos hit a single.  Mackenzie Sims reached safely on base after VU's defensive error and advanced Evdos to second.
• Philop produced an RBI single to score Evdos for DSU's 1-0 lead in the top second (Sims advanced to second base).
• Jacquelyn Folkers followed up with another RBI single to score Sims, extending the Trojans' lead to 2-0.
• Dakota State added three runs in the top second inning.  Alexus Foster led off with a single and swiped to second base.  Torres reached on base by a walk. 
• Evdos blasted a 3-run home run as DSU ballooned their lead to 5-1 in the top second frame, scoring Foster and Torres.  It was her first career collegiate home run for the Trojans.
• Mathews hit a lead-off solo home run in the bottom second as the V-Hawks trailed 5-1.
• Amanda Bogdonovich led off the bottom third with a walk, followed by Morgan James' single to advance Bogdonovich to second base.  Karissa Walsh smashed a 3-run home run as Viterbo trimmed DSU's lead to 5-4.
• The Trojans snapped their scoring drought with three runs scored in the top fifth.  Folkers and Chan each reached safely on base caused by a pair of V-Hawks' defensive error.  Both Folkers and Chan advanced one base after VU's passed ball.
• Hannah Feser hit an RBI single to score Folkers as DSU extended their lead to 6-4 in the top fifth.  Foster followed up with a 2-RBI double to score Chan and Feser to make it 8-4 DSU.
• Viterbo reduced their deficit to 8-5 after James hit a lead-off solo home run in the bottom fifth inning.
• With two outs in the top seventh inning with two runners on base, Evdos hit her second 3-run home run of the game to widen the Trojans' lead to 11-5.
• Mathews produced an RBI single to score James, who had a double earlier in the bottom seventh (DSU led 11-6).  The V-Hawks left a runner on base when the game ended, securing the win for the Trojans.
• Evdos hit two home runs, single and drove in a game-high six runs for Dakota State.  Foster was perfect at the plate by going 4-of-4 with a double, three singles, and collected two RBIs.  She swiped three bases.
• Feser had two singles and an RBI for the Trojans.  Philop had two singles and an RBI.  Folkers and Sims each had a hit. 
• Torres, Whitesides, and Madissen Larson each recorded a stolen base for DSU.
• James had a home run, double, single and an RBI for Viterbo.  Walsh added a home run and earned three RBIs.  Mathews had a home run, single, and two RBIs. 
• Brittney Slocum, Bogdonovich, Ryan, Emily Roberts, and Driebel each had a hit for VU.
• Dakota State registered 14 hits in the game compared to Viterbo 11 hits.  The V-Hawks committed five defensive errors while the Trojans had one defensive miscue.
• Aldendifer started the game in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  She worked for two innings and gave up four runs on five hits.  Philop (W, 1-3) earned her first win of the season after tossing five innings in relief.  She limited the V-Hawks to two runs on six hits.
• Ryan (L, 2-9) tossed a complete game defeat for Viterbo.  She gave up 11 runs (seven unearned) on 14 hits and recorded eight strikeouts.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director