April 29, 2023

BELLEVUE, Neb. – The North Star Athletic Association baseball regular-season title was not decided until the final regular-season contest Saturday afternoon at John Stella Field at Brown Park.  Dakota State (S.D.) had a one-game lead before entering Saturday's contests and fell short of the conference title after the nationally ranked Bellevue swept the Trojans by the scores of 5-2 and 12-1.

Dakota State is 34-16 overall record and completed their North Star conference schedule with an impressive 24-4 record.  Their 24 conference victories are the most in school history since the league's inception in 2013-14.  Bellevue, ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, lifted their overall record to 41-8 and completed the conference schedule with a 25-3 record.

Both teams prepare for the North Star baseball postseason tournament, which starts on Friday, May 5.  The double elimination conference tournament's pairings and times will be announced late Sunday night. 

Dakota State will be the No. 2 seed in the postseason conference tournament, while Bellevue secured the top seed in the tournament.

Game 1 – (5) Bellevue (Neb.) 5, Dakota State (S.D.) 2 – FINAL

• Bellevue gained the first lead of the game in the bottom first inning.  Kanta Kobayashi was hit by pitch.  Drew Staley followed up with a sacrifice bunt and reached safely on first base by DSU's defensive error and allowed Kobayashi to advance to third base.
• Logan Grant produced an RBI single bunt to score Kobayashi to give Bruins a 1-0 lead in the bottom first.
• Dakota State was unable to score in the top third inning with two runners left on third base and first base.
• BU added a run in the bottom fifth inning to extend their lead.  Grant led off with a hit-by-pitch.  Nick Grade followed up with a double to advance Grant to third base. 
• Anthony Lind produced an RBI ground out to score Grant as BU led 2-0 in the bottom fifth.
• Bellevue produced four singles in the bottom sixth, converting three runs to widen their lead to 5-0.  The Bruins collected an RBI single from Staley and 2-RBI single from Grade.
• Dakota State snapped their scoring drought after plating two runs in the top seventh inning.  Cade Wenninger and Dawson Portner led off with back-to-back singles.  Hakeem Yatim hit a fly out to advance Wenninger to third base.
• Ryan McDaniel produced an RBI single to score Wenninger as the Trojans trailed 5-1 in the top seventh.  Walker Hultgren followed up with a single to set up a bases loaded situation.
• Jeremy Green collected an RBI ground out to score Portner as DSU trimmed BU's lead to 5-2 in the top seventh inning.
• Dakota State was unable to score in the final inning, securing the victory for Bellevue as they tied for first place in the NSAA conference standings at 24-3 record.
• The Bruins outhit the Trojans 13-7 in the game.  BU left 11 runners on base compared to DSU eight runners left on base.
• McDaniel led Dakota State with two singles and an RBI.  Hultgren, Jace Pribyl, Chris Burke, Wenninger, and Portner each added a single.  Green collected an RBI. 
• Grade went 4-of-5 at the plate with a double, three singles, and drove in two runs for Bellevue.  Kobayashi and Staley each added two hits.  Grant had a single and an RBI.  Mathieu Sirois had a double.  CJ Townsend and Cade Sakamoto each tallied a single.
• Nicholai Arbach (L, 4-3) took the setback on the pitching mound for DSU.  He pitched four innings and allowed one run on six hits.  He recorded five strikeouts.  Alex Swack worked for two outs in the bottom fifth in relief.  Will Clair tossed 3 1/3 innings in relief, giving up three runs on six hits.  He struck out three BU's batters.
• Alexandro Celiceo (W, 8-1) earned the victory after pitching 6 1/3 innings for BU.  He allowed two runs on five hits and registered five strikeouts.  Kenji Miller tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, yielding the Trojans to two hits.

Game 2 – (5) Bellevue (Neb.) 12, Dakota State (S.D.) 1 – FINAL

• Bellevue earned the first lead in the four-game series finale in the bottom first inning.  Grant produced an RBI double to score Kobayashi, who led off by reaching safely on first base after DSU's defensive error, for BU 1-0 lead.
• The Bruins added four runs in the bottom third frame, capped by Lind's 2-run home run to balloon their lead to 5-0.
• Wenninger blasted a solo home run in the top fifth inning as Dakota State trailed 5-1.
• Bellevue added four more runs in the bottom half of the fifth, highlighted by Sirois' 3-run home run to balloon their lead to 9-1.
• The Bruins plated three runs in the bottom sixth inning to make it 12-1.
• Dakota State left two runners on base when the game ended, despite a single from Burke and a walk from Portner.
• Bellevue outhit Dakota State 9-4 in the game.  The Trojans committed four defensive miscues while the Bruins did not commit a defensive error.
• Wenninger led the Trojans' offense attack with a home run and an RBI.  Portner added a single and a walk.  Mason Macaluso and Burke each recorded a single.
• Grant had a double, single, and drove in two runs for the Bruins.  Sirois hit a home run and collected three RBIs.  Lind added a home run and tallied two RBIs.  Staley had two hits.  Kobayashi recorded a single, walk, and an RBI.  Townsend had a single.
• Grant Svikulis (L, 6-2) recorded the defeat for Dakota State.  He pitched 4 2/3 innigns and allowed nine runs (five unearned) on seven hits.  Cole Westerlund worked the final out in the bottom fifth inning.  Aiden Urbom pitched a shutout sixth inning in relief.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director