March 20, 2023

CLARION, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) held off Waldorf (Iowa) Monday afternoon with a pair of 1-run games at Clarion High School baseball field.  The Trojans won the first game by the score of 5-4 in 10 innings – the second time in the four-game series that a contest went to 10 innings – and closed the four-game series with a 3-2 victory.

Dakota State finished the four-game series with a sweep over Waldorf, the first time that the Trojans swept the Warriors in a 4-game series.  In addition, DSU marked the first 4-0 start in the North Star conference play since the league was formed in 2013-14.

Dakota State extended their season-high winning streak to six games, raising their overall record at 13-12.  The Trojans are in a three-way tie for first place in the NSAA standings with No. 14-ranked Bellevue (Neb.) and Mayville State (N.D.) after the conference season opening weekend with a perfect 4-0 record.

Waldorf fell to 5-15 overall record and 0-4 NSAA conference record. 

The Trojans continue their North Star conference play, slated for Friday and Saturday with Mayville State.  The location of the four-game series will not be played in Mayville, N.D., due to snow on the ground.  Stay tuned to the DSU Athletics' website for schedule/location changes.

Waldorf is scheduled to play Presentation (S.D.) in the NSAA four-game series Friday and Saturday.  The location of the series had not been announced (scheduled to be played in Aberdeen, S.D., but will be relocated due to snow on the ground).

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 5, Waldorf (Iowa) 4 – FINAL/10 innings

• For the third straight game in the four-game series, Dakota State grabbed the first lead of the series.  Walker Hultgren recorded a walk with one out.  Jeremy Green followed up with a double to advance Hultgren to third base.
• Mason Macaluso produced an RBI sacrifice fly to score Hultgren for DSU 1-0 lead in the top first frame.
• The Trojans extended their lead with another run in the top third inning.  Ryan McDaniel and Hultgren led off with back-to-back singles (catcher's courtesy runner Daniel Lesher advanced to third base after Hultgren's single).
• Green hit an RBI single to score Lesher as Dakota State's lead grew to 2-0 in the top third.
• Waldorf answered with a run in the bottom half of the third inning.  Anthony Hibl led off with a single.  Damien Sanchez hit a double to advance Hibl to third base.  Thomas Capllonch recorded an RBI sacrifice line out to score Hibl as the Warriors trailed 2-1.
• Robert Gurney hit a single with two outs in the bottom fourth frame.  Juan Jorge, courtesy runner for Gurney, swiped to second base.  Luis Rivera hit an RBI single to score Jorge as WU knotted the game at 2-2.
• Seth Altwine drilled a lead-off triple in the top fifth for Dakota State.  McDaniel followed up with an RBI sacrifice fly to score Altwine as DSU regained their lead at 3-2.
• Waldorf added a run in the bottom sixth inning caused by DSU's defensive error, tying the game at 3-3.  Ryan Miller and Hibl each produced a single, while Robert Gurney recorded a walk in the bottom sixth.
• Waldorf grabbed their first lead of the game in the bottom seventh, highlighted by Sanchez's lead-off double.  He advanced to third base after Jorge's sacrifice bunt. 
• The Warriors took a 4-3 lead in the bottom seventh after Ryan Webster's RBI sacrifice fly to score Sanchez.
• Dakota State answered back with a run in the top eighth inning after recording the first two outs.  Altwine reached on base caused by WU's defensive error with two outs.  McDaniel drilled an RBI double to score Altwine as the Trojans tied the game at 4-4.
• Both teams were unable to score in the ninth inning, extending the game into extra innings.  Each team left two runners on base.
• Altwine led off the top 10th inning with a single.  McDaniel followed up with a bunt single to advance Altwine to second base.  Hultgren also recorded a bunt and reached safely after WU's defensive error to set up a bases loaded situation for DSU.
• Macaluso recorded an RBI ground out to score Altwine to give Dakota State a 5-4 lead in the top tenth frame.
• Dakota State's defense shut down Waldorf in the bottom tenth with three straight outs.
• The Trojans outhit the Warriors 13-11 in the game.  WU committed four defensive errors while DSU registered one defensive error.
• Dakota State left 15 runners on base compared to Waldorf 10 runners left on base.
• McDaniel sparked the Trojans' offense attack with a double, two singles and drove in two runs.  Green added a double, two singles and an RBI. 
• Altwine had a triple, single and scored three times for DSU.  Cade Wenninger tallied two singles.  Hultgren had a hit (15-game hitting streak) and two walks.  Chris Burke and Dawson Portner each recorded a single.  Macaluso produced two RBIs.
• Sanchez collected two doubles and a walk for Waldorf.  Hibl tallied three singles and a walk.  Miller and Gurney each added two hits.  Rivera and Webster each recorded a hit and an RBI. 
• Will Clair started the game on the pitching mound for DSU.  He worked for 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs (one unearned) on seven hits.  He recorded four strikeouts.  JD Kirchner (W, 1-3) collected the victory after tossing 4 2/3 innings in relief.  He yielded the Warriors to one run on four hits.  He struck out eight WU's batters.
• Zach Meyer pitched 6 2/3 innings for Waldorf.  He allowed three runs on eight hits.  Gabriel Jaramillo worked for two innings and gave up an unearned run on three hits.  Trevor Brace (L, 0-2) took the setback after tossing 1 1/3 innings in relief after giving up an unearned run on two hits.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Waldorf (Iowa) 2 – FINAL

• McDaniel kicked off the four-game series finale with a single.  Green extended his hitting streak to 25 games after hitting a single with one out and advanced courtesy runner Lesher to third base (Green advanced to second base on the throw during the same play).
• Macaluso hit a 2-RBI single to score Lesher and Green to give DSU a 2-0 lead in the top first.
• With bases loaded situation in the bottom first inning for Waldorf, Sanchez scored home on a wild pitch as they trailed 2-1.
• After Sanchez was hit by pitch to start the bottom third inning, he advanced to second and third bases after a pair of ground outs.  Hibl hit an RBI single to score Sanchez as the Warriors tied the game at 2-2.
• Dakota State and Waldorf were unable to score in the fourth and fifth innings, despite a bases loaded situation for the Trojans in the top fourth.
• Burke led off the top sixth inning with a double for DSU.  He advanced to third base after Wenninger's ground out.  Altwine reached safely on base with two outs caused by WU's defensive error as the Trojans grabbed a 3-2 lead.
• DSU secured the victory in the bottom seventh as the Warriors left two runners on base.
• The Trojans outhit the Warriors 5-3 in the game.  DSU left seven runners on base compared to WU five runners left on base.
• Macaluso had a single and drove in two runs for Dakota State.  Portner and Burke each added a double.  McDaniel and Green each registered a single.
• Green, Portner, and Altwine each had a walk for the Trojans. 
• Rivera had a double for the Warriors.  Hibl added a single and an RBI.  Webster collected a single and a walk.
• Luke Guest (W, 3-2) tossed a complete game victory on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He allowed two runs (one unearned) on three hits.  He recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts in the game.
• Skyler Yarborough pitched five innings and gave up two runs on four hits.  He registered seven strikeouts.  Ryuya Kato (L, 0-1) took the loss after pitching in the sixth inning, giving up an unearned run on one hit.  Jake Petty tossed a shutout seventh inning in relief.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State Unversity Sports Information Director