April 8, 2023

YANKTON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) produced the best North Star Athletic Association softball's 12-game start, earning their first four-game series sweep of the season over Presentation (S.D.) on a warm and windy Sertoma Park Saturday afternoon.  The Trojans rolled past the Saints 13-5 in five innings in the first game and survived PC's 10-run fifth inning explosion in the four-game series finale for a 16-12 victory.  Carrington Entringer highlighted the second game of the doubleheader, breaking the all-time school record in triples (as well as tied the single-game record in triples).

Dakota State earned their fourth straight win, their 8th win in the last nine games to improve their overall record to 10-16.  The Trojans are 9-3 record in the league, breaking the previous best 12-game NSAA start in 2022 with an 8-4 record.  Presentation fell to 8-14 overall record and evened their record at 4-4 in the conference play.

It was the third straight season that the Trojans recorded double-digits victories.  It was the first time since the 2011 through 2014 when DSU hit double-digits wins.

This weekend's four-game series might be the last time both teams will play head-to-head, despite PC's announcement of their campus closure after this spring.  The Trojans registered their ninth win in the previous ten meetings with the Saints.

Dakota State steps aside their North Star conference play as they travel to Jensen Softball Complex Monday afternoon.  The Trojans face Morningside (Iowa) in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 13, Presentation (S.D.) 5 – FINAL/5 innings

• Leading 8-5 after four-and-half innings in the first game of the doubleheader, Dakota State erupted for five runs in the bottom fifth inning to end the game in five innings for the third straight game.
• Alexus Foster drilled a double in the bottom first inning for DSU.  Rosie Philop hit an RBI single to score Foster to give a 1-0 early lead.
• After a scoreless second inning, the Trojans poured in seven runs in the bottom third inning to balloon their lead.  After Entringer hit a single followed by Foster's hit-by-pitch, Michelle Evdos blasted a 3-run home run that went over the left field's home run foul line post, right on the line after the home run fence to widen their lead to 4-0.
• The Trojans continued its offensive outburst as Maycee Bricker hit a double followed by a hit-by-pitch on Rebecca Hazlett.  Mackenzie Sims drilled a 2-RBI double to score Bricker and Hazlett to make it 6-0 DSU (Sims advanced to third base on the same play after a throw).
• Hannah McFarland reached first base by a walk for the Trojans in the bottom third.  McFarland swiped to second base and allowed Sims to score home after an error by the Saints for 7-0 lead.
• Dakota State made it 8-0 when Sophia Cordova hit an RBI single to score McFarland in the bottom third frame.
• Presentation snapped their scoring drought after producing four straight hits to start the top fourth inning.  Sarah Shevenell and Yulissa Pena led off with back-to-back singles.  Camile Vestal followed up with an RBI single to score pinch runner Sydney Carter (for Shevenell) as the Saints trailed 8-1.  Vestal was tagged out at second base stretching on the same play.
• Katie Hanson hit an RBI double to score Pena as PC trailed 8-2 in the top fourth inning.
• The Saints added three runs in the top fifth inning to cut DSU's lead down to three runs.  Breanna Dunn was safe on first base after an error by the Trojans.  Victoria Vau hit an RBI double to score Dunn as PC trailed 8-3.
• Shevenell followed up with an RBI single to score Vau as the Saints trimmed DSU's lead to 8-4 (Shevenell advanced to second base after a defensive miscue by the Trojans.
• Pena added a walk with one out for the Saints in the top fifth but was out at second base after a fielder's choice by Vestal (Shevenell advanced to third base).
• The Trojans committed a defensive error in the top fifth frame, allowing Hanson to reach safely on first base.  Shevenell scored on the same play as the Saints trailed 8-5.
• Dakota State answered back with five runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning to secure the mercy-rule victory.  Hazlett and Sims led off with back-to-back doubles.  Sims collected an RBI to score Hazlett (Sims advanced third base after PC's error on the same play) for 9-5 DSU lead.
• The Trojans made it 10-5 as McFarland hit an RBI single to score Sims in the bottom fifth.  She advanced to second base after PC's wild pitch.  Entringer and Jacquelyn Folkers recorded back-to-back walks to set up a bases loaded situation (McFarland advanced to third base).
• Evdos registered an RBI hit-by-pitch to score McFarland, widening DSU's lead to 11-5 in the bottom fifth.
• DSU's Philop drilled a walk-off 2-RBI double to end the game, scoring Entringer and Folkers for a 13-5 victory in five innings.
• Dakota State outhit Presentation 12-9 in the game.  Both teams committed three defensive errors.  The Saints left seven runners on base compared to the Trojans three runners left on base.
• The Trojans racked up a total of six doubles in the game, paced by Sims with two doubles.  She also collected three RBIs and scored twice.  Philop finished the game by going 3-of-4 at the plate, with a double, two singles, and tallied three RBIs.
• Evdos had a home run and drove in four runs for DSU.  Foster, Hazlett, and Bricker each recorded a double.  McFarland and Cordova each had a single and an RBI.  Entringer and McFarland each swiped one base.
• Shevenell and Hanson each led the Saints with two singles and an RBI.  Vestal and Vau each had a hit and an RBI.  Casey Loa, Dunn, and Pena each recorded a hit.  Loa swiped one base.
• Bricker (W, 5-6) earned the victory after tossing 4 1/3 innings in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  She allowed five runs (two unearned) on nine hits.  Philop worked for two scoreless outs in the top fifth inning in relief.
• Shevenell (L, 5-5) took the defeat in the pitching circle for Presentation.  She gave up 13 runs (two unearned) on 11 hits.  She recorded six strikeouts.  Lauren Paredes pitched in the bottom fifth inning.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 16, Presentation (S.D.) 12 – FINAL

• Dakota State scored at least three runs in the first five innings in the four-game series finale, building up a 13-2 lead after four innings.  Presentation roared back with a 10-run production in the top fifth inning to cut DSU's lead to one run.
• The Trojans went on to score three runs in the bottom fifth and held on to the victory after going scoreless in the final two innings.
• Loa led off the game after being hit-by-pitch for the Saints.  Dunn recorded a sacrifice bunt to advance Loa to third base.  She scored home after a wild pitch by the Trojans, giving PC their first lead of the game at 1-0.
• DSU answered with four runs in the bottom first frame, ignited by Entringer's lead-off double.  She advanced to third base on the same play after an error by the Saints.
• Foster hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Entringer as Dakota State tied the game at 1-1.
• McFarland and Sims followed up with back-to-back singles.  Philop hit a ground out to advance McFarland to third base and Sims to second base.  Hazlett produced a 2-RBI double to score McFarland and Sim for 3-1 DSU lead.
• Hazlett swiped to third base for DSU In the bottom first.  Jadynn Alvarado recorded a walk.  She swiped to second base, while Hazlett stole home to extend Dakota State's lead to 4-1.
• Dakota State plated three runs in the bottom second frame.  Cordova led off with a single.  Entringer recorded a bunt single to advance Cordova to third base.  Entringer swiped to second base.
• Foster recorded a fielder's choice, while Cordova was tagged out at home.  On the same play, Entringer advanced to third base and scored home after PC's defensive error for a 5-1 DSU led (Foster advanced to third base on the same play).
• The Trojans made it 6-1 as McFarland hit an RBI single to score Foster in the bottom second.  McFarland swiped to second base and advanced to third base after Sims' single.  Sims swiped to second base.
• Philop produced an RBI single to score McFarland, ballooning DSU's lead to 7-1 in the bottom second.
• Presentation trimmed their deficit to 7-2 in the top third frame after Dunn's RBI double to score Loa, who reached first base after DSU's defensive error.
• Dakota State scored two runs in the bottom third, highlighted by Entringer's triple with one out.  Foster drilled an RBI double to score Entringer as their lead grew to 8-2. 
• The Trojans ballooned their lead to 9-2 as McFarland followed up with an RBI single to score Foster in the bottom third.
• DSU continued their scoring surge in the bottom fourth inning with four runs by two outs.  With runners on third and second bases, Cordova hit a 2-RBI single to score Hazlett and Alvarado for an 11-2 lead.
• Entringer smashed her second triple of the game, scoring Cordova to widen Dakota State's lead to 12-2 in the bottom fourth.  Entringer became the fifth player to knot a single game-record triples (2 triples) with Brittany Hill, Jessica Alcala, Leigh Gramke, and Kendra Weisser.
• Not only did she tie the single-game record triples, Entringer established a new record for all-time triples with 10 triples.  Five different DSU players held the previous record with nine triples (Peyton Brokiewicz from 2016-19), Elizabeth Rubalcava (2013-16), Amanda Stevenson (2009-11), Jessica VanLoy (2006-08), and Allison Hubers (2005-06).
• Entringer scored on a wild pitch from the Saints as the Trojans' lead grew to 13-2 in the bottom fourth.
• Presentation stormed back in the top fifth inning to extend the game, pouring in ten runs.  Highlighted in the top fifth inning included Dunn's RBI single, Shevenell's 2-RBI double, Vestal's RBI double, Loa's RBI single, and back-to-back RBI walks by Dunn and Carter.
• The Trojans committed three errors in the top fifth inning as the Saints trimmed their lead to 13-12.
• Dakota State answered with three runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning.  McFarland led off with a walk.  Sims drilled an RBI double to score McFarland to extend their lead to 14-12.
• Sims advanced to second base after PC's passed ball, while Philop added a walk for DSU.  Philop swiped to second base.  Hazlett reached first base after a defensive miscue by the Saints, setting up a bases loaded situation for the Trojans. 
• Grace Ortmeier produced an RBI fielder's choice to score to score Sims for 15-12 Trojans lead in the bottom fifth (Hazlett advanced to second base, while Philop was forced out at third base).
• Hazlett swiped to third base for DSU In the bottom fifth.  Ortmeier followed up with a stolen base, allowing Hazlett to steal home for 16-12 DSU lead.
• Both teams did not score for the rest of the game, securing the victory for the Trojans.  The Saints left two runners when the game ended.
• DSU outhit PC 18-8 in the game.  The Saints committed six defensive errors compared to the Trojans five defensive errors.  Both teams left eight runners on base.
• Entringer finished the game by going 4-of-5 at the plate, with two triples, a double, single, and recorded an RBI for DSU.  McFarland added four singles, two RBIs, and scored three runs.  Sims had a double, two singles and an RBI.
• Hazlett and Cordova each recorded two hits and two RBIs for the Trojans.  Foster had a double and two RBIs.  Philop recorded a single and an RBI.  Ortmeier had an RBI.  Kiley Walker had a hit.
• Dakota State broke a team single game record of 11 stolen bases, previously held with nine stolen bases twice at Hillsdale Baptist (Okla.) on March 7, 2013, and versus Eastern (Pa.) on March 7, 2011.
• Hazlett led the Trojans with four stolen bases, one stolen base shy of tying the single-game record of five stolen bases by Erica Belter versus Penn Tech on Mach 12, 2014.  Philop added two stolen bases.  Entringer, McFarland, Sims, Alvarado, and Ortmeier each swiped one base.
• Dunn led the Saints with a double, single, two walks, and drove in three runs.  She swiped one base.  Shevenell added a double, single, and two RBIs. 
• Loa, Vau, and Vestal each had a hit and an RBI for Presentation.
• Cordova (W, 2-1) earned the victory after working for 4 1/3 innings in the pitching circle for DSU.  She allowed seven runs (four unearned runs) on six hits.  She struck out five Saints' batters.  Mason Usselman worked for one out in the top fifth inning in relief.  Ortmeier closed the game by tossing 2 1/3 shutout innings in relief.
• Paredes (L, 3-7) recorded the defeat for PC after pitching three innings.  She allowed nine runs (two unearned) on 12 hits.  Pena tossed for one-plus inning, giving up six runs (two unearned) on five hits.  Shevenell pitched two innings in relief, yielding the Trojans to an unearned run on one hit.  She recorded four strikeouts.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director