April 30, 2023

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) led 8-3 in the first game of the windy North Star Athletic Association softball doubleheader Sunday at Thue Field but was outscored by Valley City State (N.D.) in the final four innings.  The Vikings won by the score of 12-9 in the first game.  VCSU closed out the four-game series with a 5-3 victory over the Trojans in the regular-season finale and final home contest.

Dakota State is 13-32 overall record and secured the No. 4 seed at 12-15 conference record for the upcoming North Star Athletic Association postseason tournament, which is set for Friday at Bravera Field in Dickinson, N.D.  Valley City State lifted their overall record to 24-21 and earned the No. 2 seed in the conference postseason tournament.

Dakota State honored their two seniors – Carrington Entringer and Rosie Philop – after the completion of the first game as they played their final home contests at Thue Field Sunday.

The North Star Athletic Association has not announced its game times for the conference tournament.  The Trojans will be facing No. 5 seed Viterbo (Wis.), while the Vikings take on seventh-seeded Waldorf (Iowa) in the opening round.  Stay tuned to the DSU Athletics' website on dsuathletics.com for future updates on the conference postseason tournament.

Game 1 – Valley City State (N.D.) 12, Dakota State (S.D.) 9 – FIINAL

• Dakota State piled up five runs in the bottom first.  Entringer reached safely on base after VCSU's defensive error.  Hannah McFarland followed up with a single to advance Entringer to second base.  Both swiped one base with Entringer to third base and McFarland to second base.
• Michelle Evdos recorded a walk to set up a bases loaded situation for DSU in the bottom first.  Philop hit a 3-RBI bases clearing double to score Entringer, McFarland, and Evdos to give Trojans a 3-0 lead.
• Dakota State made it 5-0 as Mackenzie Sims' hit an inside-the-park home run and scored Philop in the bottom first frame.
• Valley City State answered with three runs in the top second inning, ignited by Maddy Zander's 2-run home run to trail 5-2. 
• The Vikings continued their scoring surge as Makenzee Stone followed up with a triple.  Saige Forseth produced an RBI single to score Stone as VCSU trimmed DSU's lead to 5-3 in the top second.
• Dakota State scored three runs in the bottom half of the second inning, highlighted by a pair of triples.  Entringer hit a single with one out.  She swiped to second base and advanced to third base after VCSU's defensive error.
• Evdos drilled an RBI triple with two outs to score Entringer to extend DSU's lead to 6-3 in the bottom second.  Philop was safe on first base after VCSU's defensive miscue and allowed Evdos to score for a 7-3 Dakota State lead.
• Rebecca Hazlett followed up with an RBI triple to score Philop for balloon the Trojans' lead to 8-3.  The Vikings ended the inning on the same play as Hazlett was tagged out at home.
• Valley City State plated four runs in the top fourth inning, with three runs scored on the same play caused by DSU's defensive error.  Sierra Crocker followed up with an RBI single as the Vikings cut the Trojans' lead to 8-7.
• Riley Perryman hit a 2-RBI double, while Crocker added 2-RBIN single in Valley City State's four-run production in the top fifth inning to overtake an 11-8 lead.
• After Zander's lead-off walk in the top sixth frame, Andrea Rodriguez hit an RBI double to score Zander to widen the Vikings' lead to 12-8.
• Dakota State scored one run in the bottom sixth inning, thanks to a triple by Evdos.  Philop produced an RBI ground out to score Evdos as the Trojans trailed 12-9.
• The Trojans were unable to mount a comeback in the final inning, despite leaving two runners on base when the game ended.
• The Vikings had 12 hits in the game compared to the Trojans 10 hits.  Both teams committed four defensive errors.
• Evdos hit two triples in the game, tying the single-game record for most triples for Dakota State.  She also had two walks and an RBI.  Hazlett recorded a triple and an RBI.  Sims had a home run, single, and drove in two runs.  Grace Ortmeier had two singles.  Entringer added a single and two runs scored.  McFarland had a single, walk, and a run scored.
• Entringer swiped two bases for the Trojans.  McFarland, Sims, and Sophia Cordova each added a stolen base.
• Perryman collected three doubles and two RBIs for Valley City State.  Rodriguez added two doubles, a single, and an RBI.  Zander recorded a home run, single, walk, and tallied two RBIs.  Stone had a triple.  Crocker had two hits and three RBIs.  Forseth registered a single and an RBI.
• Cordova started the game in the pitching circle for DSU, working for 3 2/3 innings.  She allowed six runs (four unearned) on seven hits.  Philop (L, 0-2) took the defeat after pitching an inning in relief.  She allowed five unearned runs on three hits.  Ortmeier tossed 2 1/3 innings and yielded one run on two hits in relief.  She recorded three strikeouts.
• Joelle Lamontagne pitched the first two innings for VCSU.  She gave up eight runs (four unearned) on six hits.  Brooke Gaudry (W, 2-4) earned the win in relief after pitching five innings.  She allowed one run on four hits and recorded six strikeouts.

Game 2 – Valley City State (N.D.) 5, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL

• Valley City State used a two-run production in the sixth inning on the four-game series finale, breaking a 3-3 tie into a 5-3 lead and held on to the win.
• The Vikings took the first lead of the game at 1-0 in the top first inning caused by DSU's defensive error.
• Dakota State scored twice in the bottom third inning on the same play, thanks to Evdos' 2-RBI single to take a 2-1 lead.
• Stone recorded a walk with two outs in the top fourth frame for the Vikings.  She advanced to second after DSU's wild pitch.  Forseth hit an RBI single to score Stone as VCSU knotted the game at 2-2.
• Rodriguez followed up with a walk and advanced to second base after DSU's passed ball (Forseth advanced to third base).  VCSU regained their lead at 3-2 in the top fourth as Ashlynne Copinga hit an RBI single to score Forseth.
• Evdos blasted a triple, her third triple of the day, in the bottom fifth inning with two outs.  She scored on the same play after the Vikings committed a defensive error, tying the game at 3-3.
• Stone hit a double with one out in the top sixth inning, followed by Forseth's RBI single to score Stone as Valley City State earned a 4-3 lead.
• The Vikings added a run in the top sixth after a defensive error by the Trojans, extending their lead to 5-3.
• Dakota State was unable to come back in the final inning, securing the victory for Valley City State.
• VCSU outhit DSU 7-5 in the game.
• Evdos had a triple, single, and drove in two RBIs for the Trojans.  She also had a walk.  Entringer, Sims, and Cordova each added a hit.
• Stones had a double, walk, and scored twice for the Vikings.  Forseth added two singles and two RBIs.  Rodriguez had a hit and two walks.  Copinga collected a single and an RBI.  Perryman and Alyssa DePoorter each had a hit.
• Bricker started the game in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  She tossed 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (one unearned) on four hits.  Cordova (L, 3-5) took the defeat in relief, working 3 1/3 innings and giving up two runs (one unearned) on three hits. 
• Zander (W, 11-7) earned a complete game victory for Valley City State.  She allowed three runs (one unearned) on five hits.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director