May 6, 2022

FOREST CITY, Iowa – Seventh-seeded Viterbo (Wis.) used a fast start Friday evening to wrap up their first day of the North Star Athletic Association Baseball Postseason Tournament with an 8-1 victory over second-seeded Dakota State (S.D.).  The V-Hawks erupted for eight runs on ten hits in the first three innings of the game and never trailed.  The NSAA Baseball conference tournament is being held at Forest City High School Baseball Field, hosted by Waldorf (Iowa).

Dakota State fell to 29-17 overall record and will face sixth-seeded Mayville State (N.D.) in an elimination game Saturday at 12 p.m.  Viterbo, improving their overall record to 15-34, moves on to the winner's bracket on Saturday evening versus third-seeded Dickinson State (N.D.) at 7 p.m.

Viterbo (Wis.) 8, Dakota State (S.D.) 1 – FINAL

• Viterbo outhit Dakota State 15-6 in the game, with 10 hits coming in the first three innings for the V-Hawks.
• Cody Wells led off the game with a single for VU, followed by Kendal Hofer's double to advance Wells to third base.  Blake Warner produced an RBI ground out to score Wells for 1-0 VU lead.
• Viterbo made it 2-0 as Cole Benson followed up with an RBI double to score Hofer in the top first.
• Marcus Hornacek and Zach Braun hit back-to-back singles for the V-Hawks.  Braun produced an RBI single to score Benson to widen their lead to 3-0.
• Viterbo continued its scoring surge as Remy Stern hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Hornacek followed by Collin Hucke's RBI single to score Myles Zimdars (courtesy runner for Braun), ballooning their lead to 5-0.
• The V-Hawks plated three runs in the top third inning, highlighted by Braun's RBI double and Brandon Good's 2-RBI single for an 8-0 lead.
• Dakota State was unable to snap their scoring drought in the bottom fifth inning, leaving a runner on third base despite a double by Walker Hultgren.
• The Trojans scored once in the bottom eighth frame.  Chris Burke led off with a double followed by Seth Altwine's single to advance Burke to third base.
• Jace Pribyl produced an RBI single to score Burke as the Trojans trailed 8-1. 
• The V-Hawks secured the game in the final inning after DSU's Mason Macaluso hit a single and was tagged out at second base.
• Hultgren and Burke each had a double for Dakota State.  Ryan McDaniel, Macaluso, and Altwine each had a single.  Pribyl had a hit and an RBI. 
• Braun powered Viterbo's offense attack with two doubles, two singles, and drove in four runs.  Benson and Stern each added two hits and an RBI.  Warner and Collin Hucke each had a hit and an RBI.  Good had a single and two RBIs. 
• The V-Hawks left 10 runners on base compared to the Trojans three runners left on base.
• Will Clair (L, 5-4) took the defeat on the pitching mound after tossing the first inning for Dakota State.  JD Kirchner worked for two innings in relief.  Aiden Urbom pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, limiting the V-Hawks to three hits.  He struck out five VU's batters.  Landry Knight also pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, yielding two hits and recording two strikeouts.
• Brandon Jaenke (W, 3-4) earned the victory after pitching seven-plus innings.  He allowed one run on five hits and recorded seven strikeouts. 

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director