April 21, 2022

MADISON, S.D. – Despite trailing 12-7 in the bottom ninth inning in the first game of the North Star Athletic Association baseball four-game series at Flynn Field Thursday, Dakota State (S.D.) roared back with six runs and no outs to earn a walk-off victory over Valley City State (N.D.) 13-12.  The Vikings answered in the second game with a 13-5 victory to earn a doubleheader split.

Both teams returned to action for the first time since April 9-10 (winter storm impacted the Midwest region last week as both teams were unable to play a NSAA four-game series).

A total of 13 home runs combined by both teams were recorded in the same day.  Dakota State also set a team single-game pitching record of 20 strikeouts in the first game, while adding 13 strikeouts in the second game to accumulate a single-season record of 340 strikeouts.

The Trojans are 26-12 overall record and matched its program history 13 North Star Athletic Association victories for the third time (2016 and 2021) with 13-5 mark.  Valley City State is 18-18 overall record and 9-9 NSAA conference record.

DSU and VCSU wrap up their four-game series with another doubleheader Friday at 12 p.m.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 13, Valley City State (N.D.) 12 – FINAL

• Five home runs were hit by the Trojans, while the Vikings hit four home runs in the wild NSAA four-game series opener.
• Valley City State blasted three solo home runs in the top second inning to earn a 3-0 lead.  Jaden Babiuk, Sal Avila, and Dustin Mertz each hit a solo home run.
• Jace Pribyl hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom second as the Trojans trailed 3-1. 
• Jackson O'Neal followed up with a single, while Ryan McDaniel added a walk in the bottom second.  Noah Angstadt produced an RBI single to score O'Neal as the Trojans cut VCSU's lead to 3-2.
• DSU overtook a 4-3 lead in the bottom third as Pribyl smashed a 2-run home run, scoring Seth Altwine who hit a single with two outs.
• McDaniel blasted a solo home run in the bottom fourth inning as the Trojans extended their lead to 5-3.
• Dustin Mertz hit a 2-run home run in the top fifth (scoring Jayden Shipman who reached safely on first base after a dropped third strike caused by DSU's defensive error) as Valley City State tied the game at 5-5.
• Shipman produced a 2-RBI double in the top sixth inning as VCSU regained their lead to 7-5.
• McDaniel hit his second solo home run, leading off the bottom sixth as the Trojans trailed 7-6.  He hit his sixth home run during his career at DSU.
• Pribyl blasted his third home run of the game in the bottom eighth frame with a solo home run, tying at 7-7.  It was his seventh career home run at Dakota State.
• Valley City State poured in five runs in the top ninth inning.  With bases loaded situation and one out, Ryan Reynolds recorded an RBI walk to give VCSU an 8-7 lead.
• After the second out of the top ninth inning, Avila added an RBI walk followed by Christian Ramirez's hit-by-pitch and Shipman's 2-RBI double highlighted VCSU's scoring run to balloon their lead to 12-7.
• Mason Macaluso led off with a walk, followed by Walker Hultgren's single and Chris Burke's walk to set up bases loaded situation for the Trojans.
• Altwine fueled DSU's monstrous comeback as he hit a 2-RBI single to score Macaluso and Hultgren, trailing 12-9 (Burke advanced to second base).  Pribyl added a walk to set up a bases loaded situation.
• A wild pitch by the Vikings allowed Burke to score as DSU trimmed VCSU's lead to 12-10 (Altwine advanced to third and Alec Gannon – pinch runner for Pribyl – advanced to second base).
• Logan Hunt, pinch hitter for O'Neal, reached safely on first base after a dropped third strike with a wild pitch.  Altwine scored at home from that same wild pitch as the Trojans pulled within one run in the bottom ninth (Gannon advanced to third).
• McDaniel followed up with an RBI single to score Gannon as DSU tied the game at 12-12 (Hunt advanced to second base).
• Angstadt hit a single to advance Lunt and McDaniel one base for the Trojans in the bottom ninth.  Hunt scored home on the same play caused by VCSU's defensive miscue, completing a monstrous come-from-behind victory.
• Dakota State outhit Valley City State 15-8 in the game.  The Trojans committed four defensive errors compared to the Vikings three defensive errors.
• Pribyl was 3-of-4 at the plate with three home runs and drove in four runs for the Trojans.  McDaniel added two home runs, two singles and three RBIs.  Angstadt tallied two singles and an RBI. 
• Altwine collected two singles and two RBIs for DSU.  Hultgren added two singles.  O'Neal and Kameron Bryant each had a single.  Macaluso and Burke each registered two walks.
• Shipman paced the Vikings' offense with two doubles and earned four RBIs.  Mertz had two home runs and three RBIs.  Avila had a home run, single and two RBIs.  Babiuk added a solo home run and an RBI.  Reynolds and Ramirez each recorded an RBI.
• Will Clair started the game on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He worked for 6 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs (two unearned) on seven hits.  He tied his season-high 14 strikeouts in the game.  Noah Daugherty and Grant Svikulis each worked in relief.  Devin DeBoer (W, 1-0) earned the victory in relief after working for the final out in the top ninth frame.
• Marcus Niemann pitched the first three innings for Valley City State.  He gave up four runs on six hits.  Adam Thompson worked for four-plus innings in relief, allowing three runs on four hits.  He recorded four strikeouts.  Mertz tossed one-plus inning and gave up four runs on three hits.  David Demeter (L, 0-1) took the loss in the ninth inning, allowing the final two runs on two hits.

Game 2 – Valley City State (N.D.) 13, Dakota State (S.D.) 5 – FINAL

• Valley City State raced to a 7-0 lead after three-and-half innings and never trailed in the second game for a 13-5 victory.
• After Mertz was hit-by-pitch to start the game, Demeter blasted a 2-run home run with one out to give VCSU a 2-0 early lead.
• The Vikings continued its scoring run as Drew Nixon hit a single, followed by Shipman's double.  Babiuk produced an RBI single to score Nixon as VCSU's lead grew to 3-0. 
• Valley City State made it 4-0 as Reynolds reached safely on base after a dropped third strikeout on DSU's error, allowing Shipman to score in the top first.
• Hunter Magnuson hit a 2-RBI single to extend Valley City State's lead to 6-0 in the top third.
• VCSU made it 7-0 in the top fourth inning caused by DSU's defensive error.
• Dakota State snapped its scoring drought with a run scored in the bottom fourth, trailing 7-1.
• The Vikings hit a pair of home runs in the top fifth inning, highlighted by Magnuson's 2-run home run and Avila's 3-run home run to balloon their lead to 12-1.
• Valley City State made it 13-1 in the top sixth frame with Thompson's RBI single. 
• Josh Van Beek reached on base by a walk with one out in the bottom sixth for the Trojans.  Hunt added a single with two outs to advance Van Beek to second base. 
• Braxton Lacher smashed a 3-run home run as DSU reduced their deficit to 13-4 in the bottom sixth frame.  It was his first career collegiate home run at Dakota State.
• Josh Addington added an RBI triple in the bottom seventh inning, scoring Roch Laferrier with two outs (DSU trailed 13-5). 
• The Vikings secured the victory as DSU left a runner on base when the game ended.
• VCSU recorded 13 hit sin the game and did not commit a defensive error.  DSU had nine hits and four defensive errors.
• Lacher was 2-of-2 at the plate with a home run, single and drove in three runs for Dakota State.  Addington had a triple.  Hultgren tallied a double and single.  Hunt collected two hits.
• Magnuson had a home run, single and earned four RBIs for Valley City State.  Avila added a home run and three RBIs.  Demeter had a home run and two RBIs.  Babiuk had two hits and an RBI.
• Shipman had a double, two singles, and swiped one base for VCSU.
• Mitsuki Shimonishi (L, 5-2) recorded the setback on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed 12 runs (three unearned) on 12 hits.  He registered nine strikeouts.  Carver Hultgren worked for 2 1/3 innings in relief, giving up an unearned run on one hit.  He struck out VCSU's batters four times.
• William Hlady (W, 4-4) earned the victory after tossing six innings for Valley City State.  He gave up four runs on seven hits.  He recorded nine strikeouts.  Mitch Taylor pitched in the seventh inning in relief, giving up a run on two hits.  He had two strikeouts.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director