March 19, 2023

CLARION, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) survived Waldorf's first game late surge Sunday afternoon in the North Star Athletic Association baseball season opening day at Clarion High School baseball field.  The Warriors racked up four runs in the bottom ninth inning and forced the game into extra innings, won by the Trojans 12-11 in a high scoring affair.  Despite trailing 4-3 in the second game, DSU scored 15 straight runs in the final four innings to earn a doubleheader sweep by the score of 18-4.

Dakota State extended their winning streak to a season-high four games, improving their overall record to 11-12.  The Trojans are 2-0 record in the North Star contests, the first time since the 2016 season that DSU started the NSAA conference season with a doubleheader sweep.  Waldorf fell to 5-13 overall record and 0-2 NSAA conference record.

Dakota State and Waldorf play another doubleheader Monday afternoon at Clarion High School baseball field.  First game is set for 12 p.m.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 12, Waldorf (Iowa) 11 – FINAL/10 innings

• The Trojans grabbed the first lead of the game in the opening inning.  Walker Hultgren hit a double with one out.  Mason Macaluso hit a two-out RBI double to score Hultgren to give DSU a 1-0 lead.
• Jace Pribyl followed up with an RBI single to score Macaluso to extend the Trojans' lead to 2-0 in the top first inning.
• Waldorf answered with a pair of runs with two outs in the bottom second frame.  Ryan Webster hit a single and swiped to second base.  Robert Gurney hit an RBI single to score Webster (DSU led 2-1).
• Anthony Hibl followed up with a single to advance courtesy runner Nathan Westfield (for catcher Gurney to third base in the bottom second.  Hibl swiped to second base and allowed Westfield to score Westfield as the Warriors tied the game at 2-2.
• Waldorf plated two more runs in the bottom third, ignited by Damien Sanchez's double with one out.  Thomas Capllonch reached safely on base caused by DSU's defensive error, allowing Sanchez to score home to take a 3-2 lead.
• Zach Meyer hit an RBI single to score Capllonch as the Warriors extended their lead to 4-2 in the bottom third.
• Dakota State quickly answered with four runs in the top fourth to regain their lead, all runs scored after the first two batters recorded an out.  Ryan McDaniel recorded a walk.  Daniel Lesher, courtesy runner for McDaniel, swiped to second base and advanced to third by WU's wild pitch.  Hultgren drilled an RBI double to score Lesher as DSU trailed 4-3.
• After Jeremy Green's walk, Macaluso hit an RBI double to score Green as the Trojans tied the game at 4-4 in the top fourth.
• Pribyl followed up with a 2-RBI single to score Green and Macaluso as DSU took a 6-4 lead in the top fourth frame.
• With runner on third base after Davis Churchman's double and advanced to third after DSU"s wild pitch, Capllonch recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to score Churchman as Waldorf trailed 6-5.
• Green hit a single with one out in the top sixth inning for the Trojans.  He advanced to third base after Macaluso's single.  Pribyl produced an RBI single to score Green to put DSU up 7-5 (Macaluso advanced to third base).
• Dakota State made it 9-5 when Cade Wenninger hit a 2-RBI double to score Macaluso and Pribyl in the top sixth.
• Capllonch led off the bottom eighth inning with a solo home run as the Warriors trimmed DSU's lead to 9-6.
• The Warriors continued its offense attack as Meyer and Atticus Smith back-to-back singles.  Gurney produced an RBI single to score Meyer as they trailed 9-7 in the bottom eighth.
• Dakota State answered with two runs in the top ninth inning with two outs.  With Green on first base, Macaluso hit an RBI double to score Green as DSU extended their lead to 10-7. 
• The Trojans made it 11-7 as Pribyl hit an RBI single to score Macaluso in the top ninth.
• Churchman fueled the bottom ninth comeback with a walk for the Warriors.  Capllonch hit a single with one out and advanced Churchman to third base.  A passed ball by the Trojans allowed Churchman to score (Capllonch to second base) as WU trailed 11-8.
• Meyer hit a single to advance Capllonch to third base in the bottom ninth for WU.  Smith produced an RBI sacrifice fly to score Capllonch as WU cut DSU's lead to 11-9.
• Webster blasted a 2-run home run with two outs, scoring Meyer as the Warriors knotted the game at 11-11 in the bottom ninth inning.
• After DSU opened the top 10th inning with two outs, McDaniel drilled a double.  Hultgren had a walk.  Green hit an RBI single to score courtesy runner Lesher to take a 12-11 lead, while Hultgren was tagged out advancing to third base on the same play.
• Dakota State's defense shut down Waldorf in the bottom ninth inning, despite a double by pinch hitter Ryan Miller.
• The Trojans poured 20 hits in the game compared to Warriors 14 hits.  DSU left 14 runners on base, while WU had six runners left on base.
• Dakota State produced eight doubles in the game, paced by Macaluso with three doubles.  He also had a single and drove in three runs.  Hultgren had two doubles, two walks, and scored twice. 
• Pribyl was 4-of-5 at the plate with four singles and drove in five runs for DSU.  Burke had a double and three singles.  Wenninger tallied a double and two RBIs.  McDaniel had a double and single.  Lesher scored two runs as a catcher's courtesy runner.  Lesher and Burke each swiped one base.
• Green tallied three singles and scored three times for the Trojans. 
• Capllonch had a home run, single and two RBIs for Waldorf.  Webster and Gurney each added two hits and two RBIs.  Churchman, Sanchez, Hibl, and Miller each registered a hit.
• Webster and Hibl each swiped one base for the Warriors.
• Grant Svikulis started the game on the pitching mound for DSU, working for 6 1/3 innings.  He gave up five runs (three unearned) on six hits.  He registered five strikeouts.  Nicholai Arbach tossed 1 2/3 innings in relief, allowing two runs on four this.
• Cole Westerlund (W, 1-3) earned his first win of the season after working in the bottom ninth for DSU.  JD Kirchner (S, 2) earned the save after pitching a scoreless 10th inning.
• Ryan Meyer started the game for Waldorf, pitching four innings and gave up six runs on eight hits.  He recorded five strikeouts.  Gunnar Huffman tossed two innings in relief, allowing three runs (one unearned) on four hits.  Kade Hobbs tossed two scoreless innings.
• Ryuya Kato pitched in the ninth inning for the Warriors, giving up two runs on four hits.  Trevor Brace (L, 0-1) took the setback after allowing a run on two hits.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 18, Waldorf (Iowa) 4 – FINAL

• Despite trailing 4-3 in the second game after three innings, Dakota State racked up 15 straight runs highlighted by a pair of 6-run inning production.
• The Trojans opened with a 1-0 lead in the top first inning.  Hultgren hit a single with one out as his hitting streak grew to 14 games.  Macaluso hit an RBI double with two outs and scored Hultgren.
• Green also extended his hitting streak to 23 games as he hit a single in the top third frame for DSU.  Macaluso drilled an RBI double to score Green as the Trojans' lead grew to 2-0.
• Pribyl hit an RBI single to score Macaluso to give Dakota State a 3-0 lead.
• Waldorf snapped their scoring drought with four runs scored in the bottom half of the third inning.  Churchman led off with a double.  Sanchez smashed a 2-run home run to score Churchman as WU trialed 3-2.
• The Warriors continued their scoring surge as Capllonch recorded a walk, followed by Meyer's single to advance Capllonch to second base.  Smith recorded a sacrifice bunt to advance Capllonch to third and Meyer to third base.
• Webster reached safely on base caused by DSU's defensive error, allowing Meyer and Capllonch to score as Waldorf overtook a 4-3 lead in the bottom third.
• Dakota State quickly answered with two runs in the top fourth to regain their lead.  Dawson Portner and Seth Altwine led off with back-to-back singles.  McDaniel hit an RBI single to score Portner as DSU tied the game at 4-4 (Altwine advanced to third base).
• Lesher, courtesy runner for McDaniel, swiped to second base in the top fourth.  Green recorded an RBI fielder's choice to score Altwine as DSU led 5-4 (Lesher was tagged out at third base).
• Dakota State exploded for six runs in the top fifth inning, highlighted by 2-RBI double from Hultgren and capped with an RBI double by Burke for a 11-4 lead.
• With Altwine on first base, McDaniel reached safely on first base caused by WU's defensive error and allowed Altwine to score home for 12-4 Dakota State lead in the top sixth inning.
• The Trojans poured in another six-run production in the final inning, sparked by Portner's 3-run home run for 15-4 lead.  With bases loaded situation with back-to-back singles from Altwine and McDaniel followed by hit-by-pitch on Hultgren, Green and Macaluso recorded back-to-back RBI walks to score Altwine and Lesher to make it 17-4 in favor of DSU.
• A passed ball by the Warriors allowed Macaluso to score as Dakota State's lead ballooned to 18-4 in the top seventh frame.
• DSU outhit WU 16-5 in the game.  The Trojans left 11 runners on base compared to the Warriors seven runners left on base.
• Macaluso paced DSU's offense with two doubles and drove in three runs.  He scored twice and reached on base by a walk twice.  Burke added two doubles, two runs, RBI, and two walks.  Portner had a home run, two singles, and three RBIs.
• Hultgren tallied a double, single, two RBIs, and scored three times for Dakota State.  Green had a single, two RBIs, and two walks.  Pribyl had two singles and two RBIs.  Altwine recorded two singles, two walks, and scored four times.  Bo Wilson collected an RBI.  Wenninger had a single and walk.
• Sanchez led the Warriors with a home run, single and two RBIs.  Churchman added a double.  Capllonch and Meyer each registered a hit and a run scored.  Webster collected an RBI.
• Sam Tyrpa (W, 3-0) earned the victory after tossing six innings on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He allowed four runs (one unearned) on five hits and struck out 10 WU's batters.  Aiden Urbom pitched a shutout seventh inning in relief.
• Marc Luna (L, 2-2) took the defeat after pitching four innings for Waldorf.  He gave up five runs on nine hits and registered six strikeouts.  Gavin Williams, Jamie Olson, and Evan Kroll allowed a combined 13 runs (11 unearned) on seven hits in the bullpen.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director