February 25, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dakota State (S.D.) poured in five runs in the second inning Sunday afternoon, snapping their four-game losing skid with an 8-2 victory over William Penn (Iowa) in the finale of the Wildcat Classic at PBR Homefield Baseball Complex.  The Trojans finished the tournament with a 1-3 record, hosted by Baker (Kan.).

Dakota State improved their overall record to 8-4.  William Penn, a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, fell to 5-6 overall record after their three-game winning streak being snapped by the Trojans.

It was the first victory for Dakota State over Willam Penn since the 2006 season.

DSU begins the month of March as they stay on the road, visiting Sterling (Kan.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.  The four-game series begins on Friday with a doubleheader, followed by another doubleheader on Saturday.  Both doubleheaders start at 12 p.m. each day at SC Baseball Field.

Dakota State (S.D.) 8, William Penn (Iowa) 2 – FINAL

Dakota State could not get on the scoreboard in the opening inning, despite getting singles from Cade Wenninger and Walker Hultgren.

Cassidy Watt started the Trojans' five-run second inning explosion with a single.  Lucas Severson followed up with a single with two outs.  Jeremy Green blasted a 3-run home run to give the Trojans a 3-0 lead (scored Watt and Severson). It was Green's second home run this season and his seventh career home run at Dakota State.

Wenninger recorded a walk on the next at-bat for DSU In the top second inning.  Ryan McDaniel smashed a 2-run home run to extend the Trojans' lead to 5-0 (scored Wenninger).  It was McDaniel's second home run this season and his 14^th career home run at DSU.

William Penn produced four singles in the bottom third frame, plating two runs.  Leland Riley II led off with a single, while Blair Speas added a single with two outs (courtesy runner Adrian Ayala advanced to third base). 

Zach Otten produced an RBI single to score Ayala as the Statemen trimmed the Trojans' lead to 5-1 in the bottom third (Speas advanced to second base on the same play and third base after Abraham Arroyo's fly out).  Nick George added an RBI single to score Speas as WPU trailed 5-2 with two outs.

Dakota State produced three runs in the top seventh frame to balloon their lead.  McDaniel drilled a lead-off double.  Hultgren added a single.  Ned Ceklic recorded a sacrifice bunt to advance catcher's courtesy runner Seth Altwine to third base and Hultgren to second base.

Watt hit a 2-RBI single to score Altwine and Michael Buchmann, pinch runner for Hultgren, to extend DSU's lead to 7-2 in the top seventh frame.

Dakota State made it 8-2 with two outs when Dawson Portner hit an RBI double to score Watt.

The Statemen left a runner on first base when the game ended in the bottom seventh, securing the victory for the Trojans.

Dakota State pounded 14 hits in the game compared to William Penn six hits.  The Trojans left seven runners on base, while the Statemen left six runners on base.

McDaniel sparked the Trojans' offense attack with two doubles, home run, and drove in two runs.  Hultgren added three singles.  Green tallied a double, single, and collected three runs.  Watt added two hits and two RBIs.  Portner had a double and an RBI.  Severson and Wenninger each had a hit and a run scored.

Speas was 2-of-4 at the plate with two singles for William Penn.  Otten and George each added a single and an RBI.  Hector Dominguez and Riley II each recorded a single.

Will Clair (W, 3-0) earned the victory for Dakota State.  He pitched five innings and allowed two runs on five hits.  He registered three strikeouts.  JD Kirchner (S, 2) collected his second save of the season after pitching two scoreless innings in relief.  He yielded the Statemen to one single and recorded two strikeouts.

George (L, 0-2) took the defeat on the pitching circle for WPU.  He gave up five runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings of work.  Joel Holguin, Ryne Chamberlin, and Santi Guerrero each worked in relief.