March 25, 2023

Photos credit by Waldorf (Iowa) Sports Information

CLARION, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) could not hold on to their 4-1 lead in the first game Saturday of the North Star Athletic Association softball doubleheader at Clarion High School softball field.  The Warriors held on to an 8-6 victory in the first game.  The Trojans closed the series finale with a 13-9 win over WU, settling for the conference season opening's four-game series with a split.

Dakota State is 3-15 overall record, while Waldorf is 6-12 overall record.  Both teams are 2-2 record in the North Star Athletic Association contests.

The Trojans were originally scheduled to play another NSAA's four-game series at Mayville State (N.D.) next weekend.  With unfavorable playing field conditions in Mayville, N.D., the four-game series will be relocated to Presentation (S.D.) Dome in Aberdeen, S.D.  The four-game series will start next Sunday at 12 p.m. with a doubleheader, followed by another doubleheader next Monday at 10 a.m.

Game 1 – Waldorf (Iowa) 8, Dakota State (S.D.) 6 – FINAL

• Dakota State plated two runs to grab the first lead in the top first inning.  Carrington Entringer led off with a walk.  Alexus Foster reached safely on base caused by WU's defensive error, allowing Entringer to score for a 1-0 DSU lead. (Foster was tagged out at third base on the same play).
• Rebecca Hazlett hit a single with two outs, followed by Hannah McFarland's walk to advance Hazlett to second base.  Mackenzie Sims hit an RBI single to score Hazlett to extend DSU's lead to 2-0 in the top first inning (McFarland was tagged out advancing to third base).
• Paige Pearson led off the bottom first inning with a double for Waldorf.  She advanced to third base after Brooke Hickley's ground out.  Kaela Eslinger hit an RBI sacrifice fly out to score Pierson as the Warriors trimmed the Trojans' lead to 2-1.
• DSU stretched their lead after scoring two runs in the top second frame.  Rosie Philop led off with a double.  Maycee Bricker hit an RBI single to score Philop to put the Trojans up 3-1, while Bricker advanced to third base on the same play caused by Waldorf's defensive miscue.
• Bricker scored from WU's wild pitch, ballooning the Trojans' lead to 4-1 in the top second frame.
• Waldorf produced four straight hits to start the bottom third inning, scoring three runs.  Eslinger earned an RBI single, while Kassidy Elyea added 2-RBI double as the Warriors tied the game at 4-4.
• Dakota State broke the 4-4 tie after scoring two runs in the top fourth inning, highlighted by Philop's lead-off double.  Jacquelyn Folkers, pinch runner for Philop, advanced to third after WU's wild pitch.  Sophia Cordova drilled an RBI double to score Folkers as DSU regained their lead at 5-4.
• DSU's lead grew to 6-4 as Grace Ortmeier hit an RBI single to score Cordova in the top fourth.
• Waldorf answered with another three-run production in the bottom fourth to overtake the lead.  Hickey hit a 2-RBI double and added a run after DSU's wild pitch for a 7-6 WU lead.
• Pierson hit an RBI single in the bottom fifth as Waldorf widened their lead to 8-6.
• Dakota State left a runner on first base when the game ended, securing the victory for the Warriors.
• Both teams tallied 10 hits in the game.  WU left nine runners on base compared to DSU seven runners left on base.
• Philop collected two doubles for the Trojans.  Bricker added two singles and two RBIs.  Cordova had a double and an RBI.  McFarland registered a triple, single, and walk.  Hazlett and Entringer each had a hit.  Bricker recorded two singles and two RBIs.
• Pierson went 4-of-4 at the plate with a double, three singles, and scored three runs for the Warriors.  Hickey added a double, single, two RBIs, and two runs.  Elyea had a double and two RBIs.  Eslinger, Gabby Bierly, and Maddie Dalke each recorded a hit.
• Bricker (L, 1-6) took the setback in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  She allowed seven runs on nine hits.  Philop tossed three innings in relief, yielding one unearned run on one hit.
• Pierson started the game for Waldorf, working for three innings.  She gave up six runs (two unearned) on seven hits.  Dalke (W, 2-1) earned the win after pitching four scoreless innings in relief. Limiting the Trojans to three hits.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 13, Waldorf (Iowa) 9 – FINAL

• Dakota State exploded for six runs to start the game in the top first inning of the four-game series finale.  McFarland reached safely on first base after WU's defensive error.  Alexus Foster blasted an RBI triple to score McFarland to give DSU a 1-0 lead.
• The Trojans made it 2-0 after a wild pitch committed by the Warriors, allowing Foster to score.
• Michelle Evdos smashed a solo home run with two outs in the top first, ballooning their lead to 3-0.
• DSU continued its scoring surge as Philop hit a single and advanced to second base after Bricker reached safely on first base from WU's defensive error.
• Sims hit a 2-RBI double to score Philop and Bricker to make it 5-0 in favor of the Trojans. 
• Dakota State extended their lead to 6-0 after Cordova's RBI single to score Sims in the top first.
• The Trojans added a run in the top second inning.  McFarland led off with a single and advanced to second base after WU's defensive miscue.  Foster hit a ground out to advance McFarland to third base.
• Hazlett hit an RBI ground out to score McFarland as the Trojans ballooned their lead to 7-0.
• Waldorf poured in six runs with two outs in the bottom half of the second inning, capped by back-to-back home runs.  Hickey smashed a 2-run home run followed by Eslinger's solo home run as the Warriors trailed 7-6.
• The Trojans put together a three-run production in the top third inning.  Ortmeier led off with a walk.  Cordova reached safely on first base after WU's error and advanced Ortmeier to second base.  McFarland hit an RBI single to score Ortmeier as DSU led 8-6 (Cordova advanced to third base).
• Foster followed up with a 2-RBI double to score Cordova and McFarland to balloon the Trojans' lead to 10-6 in the top third.
• With Delaney Gregor on third base in the top fourth inning, Sims hit an RBI single to score Gregor to make it 11-6 in favor of Dakota State.
• Alex Mathers smashed a solo home run with one out in the bottom fifth inning as Waldorf trailed 11-7.
• Sims added an RBI single in the top sixth inning as DSU's lead grew to 12-7.
• Hickey hit a 2-run home run in the bottom sixth as Waldorf cut Dakota State's lead to 12-9.
• Folkers scored after Waldorf's wild pitch as DSU led 13-9 in the top seventh frame.
• Waldorf left the bases full when the game ended, securing the victory for Dakota State.
• The Warriors had 15 hits in the game compared to the Trojans 14 hits.  WU committed seven defensive errors, while the Trojans had two errors.
• Foster collected a triple, double, and drove in three runs for Dakota State.  Sims added a double, two singles, and tallied four RBIs.  Philop had two hits.  Evdos hit a home run and recorded an RBI.  Cordova and Hazlett had a hit and an RBI.  Entringer registered a single.
• Entringer, Evdos, and Sims each swiped one base for the Trojans.
• Hickey hit two home runs and drove in four runs for Waldorf.  Mathers added a home run, single and an RBI.  Eslinger had a home run and an RBI.  Pierson was perfect at the plate, going 4-of-4 with an RBI, walk, and scored two tims.  Elyea, Bierly, Dalke, and Annah Sheffield each added a hit.
• Bricker started the game in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  Ortmeier (W, 1-5) earned the victory after tossing 4 1/3 innings in relief, allowing four runs on seven hits and recorded seven strikeouts.  Bricker reentered the pitching circle in the bottom seventh to earn her first save of the season.  She finished with 2 2/3 innings and gave up five runs (three unearned) on eight hits.  She registered four strikeouts.
• McKenna Mentink (L, 3-4) took the loss after allowing ten runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings of work for Waldorf.  Alex Mathers tossed 4 1/3 innings in relief, giving up three runs (one unearned) on seven hits.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director