April 2, 2023

LINCOLN, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) erupted for 22 runs in the first two games in a rare North Star Athletic Association baseball tripleheader Sunday at Den Hartog Field.  The Trojans rolled past Presentation (S.D.) 15-2 in the first game and 7-1 in the second game.  The highlight in the second game saw Mason Macaluso breaking a pair of all-time school records on the same play.

Dakota State ballooned their winning streak to 12 games, raising their overall record to 19-12 and stayed undefeated in North Star conference play with 10-0 record.  Presentation remained winless in 24 games (0-24 overall record) and 10 league games (0-10 NSAA record).

Dakota State and Presentation complete their third game of the NSAA tripleheader Sunday at 3 p.m.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 15, Presentation (S.D.) 2 – FINAL

• Dakota State and Presentation were scoreless through the first two-and-half innings of the first game.
• The Trojans snapped their scoring drought in the bottom third inning with three runs scored.
• Ryan McDaniel hit a single with one out for the Trojans.  Walker Hultgren drilled an RBI double to score Daniel Lesher, courtesy runner for McDaniel, for the first lead of the game at 1-0.
• Jeremy Green followed up with a single to advance Hultgren to third base for DSU in the bottom third (Green advanced to second base).  DSU extended their lead to 3-0 after a 2-RBI single by Macaluso, scoring Hultgren and Green.
• Dakota State poured in five runs in the bottom fourth inning, highlighted by three home runs.  Seth Altwine led off with a double.  McDaniel hit an RBI single to score Altwine to extend DS's lead to 4-0.
• Hultgren blasted a 2-run home run to balloon the Trojans' lead to 6-0, scoring courtesy runner Lesher for McDaniel.
• Green and Macaluso followed up with back-to-back solo home runs to widen Dakota State's lead to 8-0 in the bottom fourth.
• With Trent White on second base in the top fifth, Presentation scored the first run of the game as Dominic Sarmiento hit an RBI single (DSU led 8-1).
• DSU continued its offense attack with seven runs in the bottom fifth frame, thanks to three doubles.  McDaniel and Hultgren hit back-to-back singles (courtesy runner Lesher for McDaniel advanced to third base).  Green drilled an RBI double to score Lesher to make it 9-1 in favor of the Trojans (Hultgren to third base).  Hultgren scored on PC's wild pitch for 10-1 DSU lead.
• With bases loaded situation after Macaluso's hit-by-pitch and Jace Pribyl's walk, Chris Burke hit 2-RBI double to score Green and Macaluso to extend DSU's lead to 12-1.
• Dawson Portner was hit-by-pitch to set up another bases loaded situation for the Trojans in the bottom fifth.  Dakota State made it 13-1 as PC committed a wild pitch to allow Pribyl to score (Burke to third base and Portner to second base).
• Dalton Nelson, pinch hitter for Altwine, hit a 2-RBI double to score Burke and Portner for a 15-1 lead in the bottom fifth.
• Louie Martinez hit an RBI double to score Trevor Ball, who led off with a walk in the top seventh for the Saints (PC trailed 15-2).
• Dakota State outhit Presentation 19-4 in the game.  The Trojans blasted three home runs in the game and drilled five doubles.
• Hultgren went 4-of-5 at the plate with a home run, double, two singles and drove in three runs for the Trojans.  Green added a home run, double, single and two RBIs.  Macaluso had a home run, two singles and drove in three runs. 
• McDaniel collected three hits and an RBI, with courtesy runner Lesher scoring three times.  Pribyl and Altwine each had a hit.  Nelson recorded a double and two RBIs.
• Martinez and Sarmiento each had a hit and an RBI for the Saints.  Dawson Barson and Ethan Leech each added a single and a walk.
• Grant Svikulis (W, 4-0) earned the victory on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He worked for five innings and allowed one run on three hits.  He registered five strikeouts.  Mitsuki Shimonishi pitched for 1 1/3 innings and gave up a run on one hit.  Aiden Rocha tossed two scoreless outs in relief.
• Wolf'Don Thorson (L, 0-7) took the defeat after pitching three innings for Presentation.  He gave up seven runs on 11 hits.  Samuel Garner and Oliver Lewis each worked in relief.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 7, Presentation (S.D.) 1 – FINAL

• Dakota State scored six runs in the first three innings and never trailed in the game to collect their second win of the tripleheader, highlighted by Macaluso's all-time school record breaker in the third inning.
• McDaniel led off the bottom first inning with a double.  After Hultgren's fly out to advance courtesy runner Lesher to third base, Lesher scored home after the Saints committed a wild pitch for 1-0 DSU lead.
• Green followed up with a walk for DSU in the bottom first.  Macaluso smashed a 2-run home run with one out to widen Dakota State' lead to 3-0.
• The Trojans started the bottom second with back-to-back doubles by Nelson and Portner.  Portner collected an RBI to score Nelson for DSU 4-0 lead.
• Hultgren added an RBI single to score Portner to widen Dakota State's lead to 5-0 in the bottom second frame.
• Macaluso shattered a pair of DSU's all-time school records in the bottom third inning, blasting a solo home run for a 6-0 lead.
• Macaluso broke the previous all-time home run holder by Anyelo Roman with 25 career home runs from 2012-13. 
• Not only did he break the all-time home runs, Macaluso also set a new all-time school record in RBIs.  He broke the previous record held by Shea Tonkin with 127 RBIs from 2005-07.
• Burke led off the bottom fifth with a single for Dakota State.  He swiped to second base and scored home after Nelson's RBI single for 7-0 lead.
• Keagan Niedermeyer and Evyn Booth hit back-to-back singles for the Saints in the top sixth inning.  Barson reached safely on base caused by DSU's defensive error, allowing Niedermeyer to score as PC trailed 7-1.
• Presentation left a runner on base in the final inning, securing the victory for the Trojans.
• DSU outhit PC 11-5 in the game.  The Trojans left eight runners on base compared to the Saints three runners left on base.
• Macaluso finished the game by going 2-of-4 at the plate with two home runs and three RBIs.  Hultgren added a hit and an RBI.  McDaniel had two hits.
• Nelson drilled two doubles, single, and an RBI.  Portner had a double and an RBI.  Burke and Pribyl each had a hit. 
• Barson had a double for Presentation.  Niedermeer, Booth, Ball, and Sarmiento each had a single.
• Sam Tyrpa (W, 5-0) pitched a complete game victory for Dakota State.  He yielded the Saints to one unearned run on five hits and struck out a season-high 11 batters.
• Michael Wishowski (L, 0-4) suffered the setback after pitching two innings for Presentation.  He allowed five runs on five hits.  Ryan Powers worked for four innings in relief, giving up two runs on six hits.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director