April 9, 2022

La CROSSE, Wis. – Dakota State (S.D.) continued its hot start in the North Star Athletic Association baseball action, earning a doubleheader sweep over Viterbo (Wis.) Saturday at Viterbo Outdoor Activities Center (OAC).  The Trojans shut down the V-Hawks 9-1 in the first game and rallied back for a 3-2 pitcher's duel victory in the second game.

Dakota State raised their overall record to 24-10 (most wins since 2012) and continued its best start in the North Star Athletic Association since the league formed at 11-3 mark.  The Trojans won their eighth straight conference game, and their ninth win in the last 10 games.  Viterbo fell to 10-25 overall record and 2-12 NSAA conference record.

DSU and VU wrap up their four-game series with another doubleheader Sunday at Viterbo OAC.  The first game of the doubleheader is set for 12 p.m.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 9, Viterbo (Wis.) 1 – FINAL

• All nine Dakota State hitters recorded at least a hit in the game combined with Will Clair's complete game fueled to a 9-1 victory.
• The Trojans grabbed its first lead of the game in the opening inning.  Ryan McDaniel led off with a double.  Noah Angstadt followed up with a single to advance Bennett Osborn, courtesy runner for McDaniel, to third base.
• Kameron Bryant produced an RBI fielder's choice to score Osborn to give DSU a 1-0 lead in the top first.
• The Trojans added two runs in the top third frame.  McDaniel led off with a walk.  Courtesy runner Osborn advanced to second base after Angstadt's ground out.  Bryant drilled an RBI double to score Osborn to extend DSU's lead to 2-0.
• After Mason Macaluso's single to advance Bryant to third base, Dakota State's lead grew to 3-0 as Walker Hultgren hit an RBI double to score Bryant in the top third.
• Jackson O'Neal and Angstadt each hit a single in the top fourth inning.  Bryant reached safely on base caused by Viterbo's defensive error, allowing O'Neal to score to make it 4-0 in favor of Dakota State.
• The V-Hawks broke their scoring drought in the bottom fifth inning as Cody Wells blasted a solo home run with two outs (DSU led 4-1).
• Dakota State answered with four runs in the top sixth inning.  Jace Pribyl ignited the Trojans with a lead-off double.  McDaniel reached on base by a walk with one out. 
• Bryant hit a 2-RBI double with two outs to score Osborn (courtesy runner for McDaniel) and Alec Gannon (pinch runner for Pribyl) as the Trojans' lead grew to 6-1.
• Macaluso smashed a 2-run home run to extend Dakota State's lead to 8-1 in the top sixth frame.
• Chris Burke blasted a solo home run with two outs in the top ninth inning to make it 9-1.
• Clair retired the final three VU batters in the bottom ninth inning, securing the victory for DSU.
• Dakota State outhit Viterbo 14-3 in the game.  Eight of the DSU's hits were extra-base hits, with six doubles and two home runs.
• Bryant led the Trojans with two doubles and drove in a game-high five runs.  He swiped one base.  Macaluso added a home run, single and two RBIs.  McDaniel, Angstadt, and Pribyl each added two hits.
• Hultgren and Burke each had a hit and an RBI for Dakota State.  O'Neal and Seth Altwine each recorded a hit. 
• Wells had a home run and an RBI for VIterbo.  Kendal Hofer recorded a double.  Zach Braun had a single.
• Clair (W, 5-2) earned his second straight complete game victory on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He yielded one run on three hits.  He struck out VU's batters eight times.
• Kyle Gilbertson (L, 0-5) took the setback after 5 2/3 innings, despite recording a game-high 11 strikeouts for Viterbo.  He allowed seven runs on 10 hits.  Anthony Reza worked for 2 1/3 innings in relief, while Ben Sranske pitched in the ninth inning.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Viterbo (Wis.) 2 – FINAL

• The second game of the doubleheader highlighted a pitcher's duel between DSU's JD Kirchner and VU's Brandon Jaenke.  Both pitchers recorded at least 10 strikeouts in the game as the Trojans rallied back with two runs in the seventh inning to take a 3-2 victory.
• DSU earned the first lead in the top first inning.  Angstadt hit a single with one out.  Macaluso drilled an RBI double to score Angstadt to give Trojans a 1-0 lead.
• The V-Hawks answered with a run in the bottom half of the first inning.  Hofer led off with a single and advanced to second base after Braun's walk.  Cole Benson followed up with an RBI single to score Hofer as the game was knotted at 1-1.
• Myles Zimdars reached on base by a walk with two outs and swiped to second base in the bottom second.  Viterbo made it 2-1 when Carter Olek hit an RBI single to score Zimdars.
• Dakota State snapped their scoring drought with two runs in the top seventh inning.  Hultgren hit a single with one out, followed by Burke's double to advance Hultgren to third base.  Altwine reached on base to set up a bases loaded situation for the Trojans.
• Pribyl hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Hultgren as DSU tied the game at 2-2 in the top seventh.
• Dakota State made it 3-2 as Bure scored home caused by VU's passed ball in the top seventh.
• Cole Westerlund (S, 4) struck out the final three V-Hawks batters in the bottom seventh to secure the win for Dakota State.
• Macaluso and Burke each had a double for DSU.  Angstadt and Hultgren each added a single.  Macaluso and Pribyl each tallied an RBI.
• Benson led the V-Hawks with a single and an RBI.  Hofer and Olek each had a hit.
• DSU outhit VU 4-3 in the game.
• Kirchner (W, 4-3) earned the victory after tossing six innings and gave up two runs on three hits.  He registered a season-high 11 strikeouts.  Westerlund earned the save after closing the game in the final inning.  Kirchner and Westerlund combined to struck out Viterbo's batters 14 times.
• Jaenke (L, 1-3) took the defeat on the pitching mound for VU.  He gave up three runs (one unearned) on four hits.  He recorded 10 strikeouts.  Alec Danen worked the final out in the top seventh.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State UNiversity Sports Information Director