February 28, 2023

McPHERSON, Kan. – Dakota State (S.D.) outscored Central Christian (Kan.) 28-13 Tuesday at Light Capital Stadium, earning a baseball doubleheader sweep for the first time this season.  The Trojans won the first game by the score of 12-3, followed by a 16-9 victory over the Tigers to complete their first four-game series victory with a 3-1 record.

Dakota State improved to 5-7 overall record.  Central Christian, a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference, fell to 3-15 overall record.

The Trojans continue their busy non-conference schedule as they travel to Baldwin City, Kan. Friday and Saturday for another four-game series.  The doubleheader on each day is set for 12 p.m.

Game 1:  Dakota State (S.D.) 12, Central Christian (Kan.) 3 – FINAL

• After a scoreless first inning, Dakota State plated two runs in the top second frame to earn the first lead of the game.  Walker Hultgren and Dawson Portner led off with back-to-back walks.  Both Hultgren and Portner advanced one base after a wild pitch by CCC with two outs.
• Hakeem Yatim produced a 2-RBI single to score Hultgren and Portner to give DSU a 2-0 lead in the top second.
• The Trojans scored four runs in the top third inning to extend their lead.  Ryan McDaniel and Jeremy Green hit back-to-back singles.  Hultgren drilled an RBI double to score Ayden Spicer (courtesy runner for McDaniel) for 3-0 DSU lead (Hultgren advanced to third base).
• Portner followed up with a walk to set up a bases loaded situation for Dakota State in the top third.  Jace Pribyl produced an RBI single to score Green to balloon the Trojans' lead to 4-0.
• After a pitching change by the Tigers in the top third, Chase DeWitt hit a 2-RBI single to score Hultgren and Portner to widen their lead to 6-0.
• Central Christian snapped their scoring drought after scoring twice in the bottom half of the fourth frame.  Noel Aquino led off with a walk, while Justin Taylor was hit-by-pitch.  The Tigers set up a bases loaded situation after Tim Escamilla's walk. 
• Joseph Gusman and Sam Chavez produced back-to-back RBI walks to score Aquino and Taylor as CCC trimmed DSU's lead to 6-2.
• McDaniel hit a 2-run home run in the top fifth inning, bringing Seth Altwine home after hitting a double for an 8-2 lead.
• The Tigers scored a run in the bottom half of the fifth frame after a defensive error by the Trojans (DSU led 8-3).
• Pribyl blasted a solo home run as Dakota State's lead grew to 9-3 in the top sixth inning.  It was his first home run this season and his eighth career at DSU.
• McDaniel hit his second home run of the game (his 11th career home run at Dakota State) in the top seventh inning.  Yatim led off by hit-by-pitch, while Chris Burke hit a double.  McDaniel then blasted a 3-run home run to balloon DSU's lead to 12-3.
• The Tigers left one runner on base when the game ended, securing the victory for the Trojans.
• Dakota State outhit Central Christian 13-5 in the game.  Both teams left eight runners on base.
• McDaniel finished the game by going 3-of-5 at the plate with two home run and a single.  He tallied five RBIs.  Pirbyl added a home run, single and two RBIs.  DeWitt and Yatim each had a hit and two RBIs. had a single and drove in two runs.
• Hultgren collected two doubles, two walks, and an RBI for the Trojans.  Altwine and Burke each added a double.  Green had a double and single.  McDaniel, Hultgren, and Portner each scored twice.
• Gusman led the Tigers with a single and an RBI.  Carlos Gusman, Escamilla, Jace Phillips, and Tim Escamilla each added a hit.
• Luke Guest (W, 1-1) earned the victory on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He worked for 3 2/ 3innings and allowed two runs on one hit.  He registered eight strikeouts.  Aiden Rocha tossed 1 2/3 innings in relief, giving up an unearned run on three hits.  He recorded four strikeouts.  Aiden Urbom pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief and yielded the Tigers to one hit.
• Levi Atherton (L, 0-4) took the setback after allowing two runs on one hit.  The Tigers used three different pitchers in relief (Armando Aguilar, Daniel Scott, and Nick Clayson) with a combined 10 runs on 12 hits.

Game 2:  Dakota State (S.D.) 16, Central Christian (Kan.) 9 – FINAL

• Dakota State poured in five runs in the opening inning of the second game, highlighted by a pair of home runs.  McDaniel had a double, followed by Green's single.
• Portner hit a 3-run home run with two outs to score Spicer (courtesy runner for McDaniel) and Green for a 3-0 lead.
• Pribyl followed up with a double for the Trojans in the top second.  DeWitt smashed his first career collegiate home run with a 2-run home run, ballooning DSU's lead to 5-0 in the top first.
• T. Escamilla produced an RBI single to score C. Gusman, who recorded a walk and advanced to second base after DSU's wild pitch.  The Tigers trimmed the Trojans' lead to 5-1 after one inning.
• Dakota State added two runs in the top third.  Hultgren led off with a single.  Portner reached safely on base after CCC's defensive error, advancing Hultgren to third base.
• After Portner swiped to second base, Pribyl hit an RBI ground out to score Hultgren to make it 6-1 in favor of the Trojans (Portner advanced to third base).
• Dakota State made it 7-1 when Portner scored home after a passed ball by the Tigers in the top third.
• Central Christian answered with two runs in the bottom third frame, highlighted by C. Gusman's RBI single.  The Tigers added another run caused by DSU's wild pitch, reducing their deficit to 7-3.
• Burke led the top fourth inning with a single.  Green added a single with one out and advanced Burke to third base.  Green swiped to second base and allowed Burke to score home caused by the Tigers' defensive miscue, extending DSU's lead to 8-3.
• Hultgren followed up with a 2-run home run blast to widen Dakota State's lead to 10-3 in the top fourth inning.  It was his third home run this season for Hultgren, his ninth career home run at DSU.
• Dakota State ballooned their lead to 15-3 in the top fifth inning, thanks to Burke's RBI walk, McDaniel's RBI single, Green's RBI walk, Hultgren's RBI sacrifice fly, and Pribyl's RBI walk.
• Central Christian answered with three runs, a pair from a wild pitch and a passed ball by the Trojans (DSU led 15-6).
• DSU produced two doubles in the top sixth inning from Altwine and Green.  Green collected an RBI to score Atlwine to extend their lead to 16-6.
• J. Gusman hit a 3-run home run in the bottom seventh inning to complete the final score, securing the victory for Dakota State at 16-9.
• The Trojans tallied 15 hits in the game compared to the Tigers seven hits.  CCC left nine runners on base compared to DSU eight runners.
• Five Dakota State players had a multi-hit game, led by Green with three hits and drove in two runn.  Hultgren added a home run, single and collected three RBIs.
• Burke and McDaniel each had two hits and an RBI for the Trojans.  Portner had a home run and drove in three runs.  Pribyl and DeWitt each had a hit and two RBIs.  Yatim had two hits.  Altwine had a double.  Portner and Green each swiped one base.
• J. Gusman had a home run and three RBIs for Central Christian.  T. Escamilla added two hits.  C. Gusman had a single and an RBI.  Noel Aquino, Alejandro Pina, and Julius Sifuentes each had a single.
• Mitsuki Shimonishi started the game on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He worked for 2 1/3 innings and allowed three runs (one unearned) on three hits.  Nicholai Arbach (W, 1-1) earned the victory after tossing two innings in relief.  He gave up three runs (two unearned) and did not allow a hit.  Alex Swack, Isaac Toledo and Cole Drumheller each pitched in relief.
• Tristan Castner (L, 0-4) took the defeat after tossing three innings for Central Christian.  He allowed seven runs (one unearned) on nine hits.  Reese Lyons, Dominic Terrones, Marshall Owens, Elliot Castorena, and Hunter Bennett each worked in relief.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director