April 16, 2023

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After being rained out on the first day of the North Star Athletic Association four-game series Saturday, Dakota State (S.D.) and Viterbo (Wis.) played a tripleheader Sunday at Sanford Sports Complex.  Both teams faced high winds condition, where the V-Hawks won the first game 10-4 while the Trojans survived a 27-20 high scoring affair in the second game to earn a two-game split.

Dakota State is 11-21 and earned their 10th North Star conference win this season (10-6 NSAA record).  Viterbo holds an overall record of 10-22 and 6-12 NSAA conference record.

The Trojans and V-Hawks play their third game of the tripleheader late Sunday afternoon on the same field.

Game 1 – Viterbo (Wis.) 10, Dakota State (S.D.) 4 – FINAL

• Viterbo raced to an 8-1 lead after four innings in the first game of the tripleheader and never trailed for the rest of the game.
• Makayla Nortman led off the game with a single and swiped to second base for VU.  Channing Manske was hit-by-pitch.  Nortman then advanced to third base on her second stolen base of the game.  Manske then swiped to third base after Brittney Slocum was struck out looking.
• Morgan James hit a 2-RBI single with two outs, scoring Nortman and Manske for 2-0 Viterbo lead in the top first frame.
• Haleigh Zanoni drilled an RBI double to score James to extend VU's lead to 3-0 in the top first.
• Dakota State answered with a run scored in the bottom half of the first inning, thanks to Carrington Entringer's lead-off triple and advanced home on throw (DSU trailed 3-1).
• Viterbo extended their lead to 5-1 in the top third inning as Megan Jardine drilled a 2-RBI double.
• Nortman led off the top fourth inning with a double and swiped to third base.  She advanced home after a defensive error by the Trojans for 6-1 VU lead.
• The V-Hawks added two more runs in the top fourth inning to balloon their lead to 8-1, thanks to extra-bases hits by James with an RBI triple followed by Zanoni with an RBI double.
• The Trojans ended their scoring drought with a run scored in the bottom fifth.  Sophia Cordova reached first base by VU's defensive error.  Mackenzie Sims blasted an RBI triple to score Cordova as DSU trailed 8-2.
• Viterbo plated two runs in the top sixth inning to make it 10-2, highlighted by James' RBI single and Jardine's RBI fielder choice.
• Michelle Evdos smashed a solo home run with one out in the bottom sixth as the Trojans cut the V-Hawks' lead to 10-3. 
• Cordova added a lead-off solo home run in the bottom seventh frame as DSU reduced their deficit to 10-4.  The Trojans could not continue their scoring chances with a runner left on base, securing the win for the V-Hawks.
• VU outhit DS U13-8 in the game.  The Trojans committed four defensive errors compared to the V-Hawks two defensive errors.  Viterbo left nine runners on base, while Dakota State had four runners left on base.
• Evdos and Cordova each had a solo home run and an RBI for Dakota State.  Entringer added a triple and single.  She swiped one base and scored once.  Sims had a triple and an RBI.  Maycee Bricker, Olivia Peterson, and Hannah McFarland each had a single.
• James went perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs, triple, and three singles for Viterbo.  Jardine added a double, single, and collected three RBIs.  Zanoni had two doubles, a single, and two RBIs.  Nortman had a double, two singles, two walks, and scored twice.  She swiped three times.
• Bricker (L, 5-8) took the loss in the pitching circle for DSU, despite tossing a complete game.  She gave up 10 runs (5 unearned runs) on 13 hits and struck out a season-high 10 batters.
• Morgan Fuhrer (W, 4-0) stayed undefeated with her fourth win of the season for VU.  She pitched a complete game and allowed four runs (one unearned) on eight hits.  She recorded four strikeouts.

Game 2:  Dakota State (S.D.) 27, Viterbo (Wis.) 20 – FINAL

• Dakota State roared to a 16-2 lead after three innings in the second game of the NSAA's tripleheader.  Viterbo stormed back, highlighted by a 12-run fifth inning production to overtake the lead.  The Trojans answered with an 11-1 run to hold on to a 27-20 high scoring victory.
• The V-Hawks used another fast start in the opening inning with two runs.  Nortman led off with a triple and scored home after Sydney Haakenson's RBI single for 1-0 VU lead.
• James added an RBI double to score Haakenson to extend the V-Hawks' lead to 2-0 in the top first frame.
• Dakota State poured in eight runs in the bottom first inning after producing nine hits, including a pair of doubles and a home run.
• Entringer led off with a triple for the Trojans in the bottom first.  McFarland followed up with an RBI double to score Entringer as DSU trailed 2-1.
• After McFarland advanced to third base after VU's passed ball, Evdos produced an RBI ground out to score McFarland as the Trojans knotted the game at 2-2.
• The Trojans continued their scoring attack in the bottom first, fueled by Rosie Philop's double.  After the second out of the bottom first, DSU produced six straight hits and six runs.
• Sims hit an RBI single to score Philop, followed by Hannah Feser's RBI single to score Sims, and Cordova's 2-run home run blast to give the Trojans a 6-2 lead.
• Jacquelyn Folkers and Entringer hit back-to-back singles for DSU in the bottom first.  McFarland drilled a 2-RBI double to score Folkers and Entringer to balloon their lead to 8-2.
• The Trojans plated one run in the bottom second frame.  Philop led off with a single and advanced to second base after VU's passed ball.  Mason Usselman hit a single and advanced Philop to third base.
• Sims produced an RBI fielder's choice to score Philop to extend DSU's lead to 9-2 in the bottom second.
• Dakota State erupted for seven runs in the bottom third inning to widen their lead.  Cordova started the bottom third with a walk.  Folkers hit an RBI double to advance Cordova to third base and advanced home on the same play after VU's defensive error for 10-2 DSU lead.
• Entringer hit an RBI triple to score Folkers to make it 11-2 in favor of the Trojans.  It was Entringer's second triple of the game, tying the single-game record for most triples for the second time this season.
• McFarland reached safely on first base after a fielder's choice and advanced to second base after VU's defensive error, allowing Entringer to score home for 12-2 DSU lead.
• Dakota State made it 13-2 after an RBI single to score McFarland in the bottom third.  Evdos advanced to third base after Philop's single.
• Philop swiped to second base, allowing Evdos to score home after VU's defensive miscue to extend the Trojans' lead to 14-2 in the bottom third.
• Usselman hit a double and advanced Philop to third base in the bottom third for Dakota State.  With bases loaded situation after Sims' fielder's choice, Feser produced 2-RBI single to score Philop and Usselman for 16-2 lead.
• Viterbo snapped their scoring drought in the top fourth inning by producing four straight hits, highlighted by Jardnie's 2-RBI double to trim DSU's lead to 16-4.
• Nortman added an RBI single, followed by a pair of runs caused by DSU's defensive errors as Viterbo trailed 16-7 after producing five runs in the top fourth.
• The V-Hawks extended the game after racking up 12 runs on 11 hits in the top fifth inning, overtaking a 19-16 lead from the Trojans.
• Dakota State answered with nine runs in the bottom fifth inning, sparked by Sims' lead off triple.  After Feser reached safely on fielder's choice, Cordova drilled an RBI double to score Sims as the Trojans trailed 19-17 (Feser advanced to third base).
• DSU's Folkers followed up with 2-RBI single to score Feser and Cordova to tie the game at 19-19 in the bottom fifth.
• Folkers scored home after a sacrifice bunt by Rebecca Hazlett, but reached safely after VU's defensive error as the Trojans regained their lead at 20-19 in the bottom fifth.  McFarland hit a single to advance Hazlett to third base.
• A double steal by the Trojans, allowing Hazlett to score home for 21-19 lead (McFarland to second base).  Evdos hit a single to advance McFarland to third base. 
• Philop produced an RBI sacrifice bun to score McFarland for 22-19 Trojans lead (Evdos advanced to second base).  After Olivia Peterson was hit-by-pitch, Sims blasted a 2-RBI double to score Evdos and Peterson to extend DSU's lead to 24-19.
• Dakota State made it 25-19 in the bottom fifth after Cordova hit an RBI single to score Sims. 
• James hit a solo home run to center field in the top sixth inning as the V-Hawks reduced their deficit to 25-20.
• Hazlett smashed a lead-off home run in the bottom sixth inning to extend DSU's lead to 26-20.
• McFarland followed up with a double and advanced to third base after VU's wild pitch in the bottom sixth.  Evdos produced an RBI sacrifice fly to score McFarland to make it 27-20 in favor of the Trojans.
• Dakota State's made their defensive stop in the top seventh inning with three straight outs, snapping their five-game losing skid.
• Dakota State pounded out a season-high 27 hits (as well as season-high 27 runs) compared to Viterbo 23 hits.  The Trojans committed six defensive miscues while the V-Hawks had four defensive errors.  Both teams left six runners on base.
• Dakota State collected eight doubles, three triples, and two home runs in the game. 
• McFarland ignited the Trojans' offense attack by going 4-of-6 at the plate with three doubles, single and drove in three RBIs.  She scored four times.  Entringer added two triples, single, and scored three times.  She had an RBI. 
• Cordova had a home run, double, single, and tallied four RBIs for DSU.  Sims added a triple, double, single, and drove in four runs.  Philop recorded a double, three singles and an RBI.  She scored three times.  Usselman recorded a double and single.  Folkers tallied a double, two singles, and two RBIs.  Feser and Evdos each had two singles and three RBIs.  Hazlett had a home run and an RBI.
• Numerous single-game team records were set for Dakota State – 45 at-bats (previously 44 at-bats at Mayville State, N.D., on April 18, 2015), 27 runs (tied single-game with Southern Vermont on March 9, 2011), 27 hits (previously 23 hits twice versus Penn College on March 9, 2011, and Dominican University on March 6, 2006),
• Individual single-game records included six at-bats (McFarland and Philop – tied single-game record), four runs (McFarland – tied single-game record), and three doubles (McFarland – tied single-game record),
• James was perfect at the plate, going 4-of-4 with a home run, double, two singles and collected two RBIs for Viterbo.  Jardine added four hits and collected four RBIs.  Haakenson had two doubles, two singles and two RBIs.  Nortman had a triple, double, single, and two RBIs.  Amanda Bogdonvich tallied two hits and an RBI.
• Usselman started the game in the pitching circle for Dakota State, working for 4 1/3 innings.  Grace Ortmeier came in the fifth inning in relief.  Cordova (W, 3-2) earned the victory after tossing 2 2/3 innings.
• Maddie Wilkey (L, 4-10) took the setback in the pitching circle for Viterbo.  She worked for 4 2/3 innings and registered five strikeouts.  Ella Dribel pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Diector