February 9, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dakota State (S.D.) met Avila (Mo.) in the baseball season opener for the third straight season Friday afternoon at The Z.  The Trojans rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to earn a 6-4 extra-inning victory in the first game, followed by a 6-2 victory over the Eagles to complete the doubleheader sweep to open the season.  It was the first time since 2016 that DSU earned a doubleheader sweep on their season opener (at Mount Marty, S.D.).

Dakota State is 2-0 overall record to kick off the 2024 season.  The sweep also gave head coach Derrion Hardie his 300^th overall collegiate coaching victory (97 wins at Dakota State).  Avila, a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, fell to 4-6 overall record after their four-game winning streak being snapped.

Both teams play another doubleheader Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. to complete their four-game series.

Game 1:  Dakota State (S.D.) 6, Avila (Mo.) 4 – FINAL/8 innings

Dakota State was unable to open the game with the lead, despite a two-out double by Ryan McDaniel.   The Trojans also halted the Eagles' opportunity to score as Landon Vahle led off with a single and swiped to second base.  He was caught stealing at third base as the game was scoreless after the first inning.

With runners on second and third bases with two outs in the bottom third frame caused by defensive miscues by the Trojans, Paxton Andrade scored home from DSU's wild pitch followed by a defensive error by the Trojans to allow Ronnie Nowak to score for Avila 2-0 lead (Landon Vahle was tagged out at third base on the same play, ending the third inning).

The Eagles added a run in the bottom fourth inning to extend their lead.  Rusten Traxler led off with a single.  Zach Dillman followed up with a walk and advanced courtesy runner Josiah Singleton (for Traxler) to second base.  After a ground out by Ricky Dober for the second out, Andrade produced an RBI single to score Singleton to extend AU's lead to 3-0.

Dakota State snapped their scoreless drought in the top fifth frame.  Dawson Portner led off with a single and swiped to second base.  Ned Ceklic recorded a walk.  Jeremy Green smashed a 3-run home run with two outs, tying the game at 3-3.  It was Green's sixth career home run at DSU.

The Trojans were unable to score in the top sixth inning with bases loaded situation, despite a double from Walker Hultgren and a pair of walks from Bubba Thompson and Ceklic.

Both teams were unable to score in the seventh inning as the game was extended into extra inning.

Wenninger reached on base by a walk with one out in the top eighth for the Trojans.  He advanced to second base after AU's wild pitch.  He also advanced to third base after a dropped third strike (Portner was out at first base).

Wenninger scored on a wild pitch to give the Trojans a 4-3 lead in the top eighth with two outs.  Cory Brownson followed up with a walk. 

Pinch hitter Dalton Nelson hit a 2-run home run to balloon DSU's lead to 6-3 in the top eighth inning.  It was his second career home run at Dakota State.

After Gio Armas was hit-by-pitch to start the bottom half of the eighth inning for Avila, Vahle hit an RBI double to score Robby Cable (pinch runner for Armas) to trim DSU's lead to 6-4.  Vahle was tagged out at third base on the same play.

JD Kirchner (W, 1-0) closed the game with two straight struck out looking, securing the victory for the Trojans.

Green had a home run and drove in a game-high three runs for Dakota State.  Hultgren added a double and a single.  Nelson hit a home run and collected two RBIs.  McDaniel had a double.  Thompson had a hit.  Ceklic recorded two walks. 

Vahle led Avila with a double, single and a run scored.  Andrade added a hit and an RBI.  Bryce Culp and Traxler each added a hit.

Sam Tyrpa started the game on the pitching mound for DSU.  He tossed five innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits.  He struck out eight AU's batters.  Kirchner earned the victory after pitching three innings in relief with one run allowed and two hits.  He recorded three strikeouts.

Cashen Schranz worked for the first 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits for Avila.  Dominic Davies worked the final out of the top fifth inning.  Jack Dotterer (L, 0-1) took the loss in relief, allowing two runs and issuing five walks in 2 2/3 innings.  Cody Rohrbough worked for one out, giving up one run on one hit.

Dakota State outhit Avila 7-5 in the game. 

Game 2:  Dakota State (S.D.) 6, Avila (Mo.) 2 – FINAL

Dakota State and Avila went through three scoreless innings in the second game of the four-game series.

DSU's Thompson drilled a lead-off double in the top fourth inning and advanced to third base after Brownson's single.  Portner produced an RBI sacrifice fly to score Thompson to give Trojans 1-0 lead.

Ceklic smashed an RBI double to score Brownson to extend Dakota State's lead to 2-0 in the top fourth inning.  Green added a two-out RBI single to score Ceklic to make it 3-0 in favor of the Trojans.

Dakota State produced another three-run inning production in the top sixth.  Aidan Perry led off with a single and advanced to second base after Eagles' balk. 

Hunter Vikemyr blasted a 2-run home run to score Perry to balloon the Trojans' lead to 5-0 in the top sixth inning.  It was his first home run at DSU.

McDaniel followed up with a walk in the top sixth for Dakota State.  Hultgren added a single to advance Seth Altwine, catcher's courtesy runner for McDaniel, to third base.  Thompson hit an RBI single to score Altwine to give DSU a 6-0 lead.

Avila snapped their scoring drought with two runs scored in the bottom seventh, highlighted by Vahle's 2-RBI single with two outs.  The Trojans secured the victory after leaving the bases loaded.

Thompson was 2-of-3 at the plate with a double, single and an RBI for DSU.  He also had a walk.  Ceklic added a double, two walks, and an RBI.  Perry tallied two singles.  Green had a single and an RBI.  McDaniel collected a hit and a walk.  Hultgren and Brownson each registered a single.

Vikemyr (W, 1-0) had a home run and drove in two runs for the Trojans.  He earned his first pitching victory this season after tossing six scoreless innings.  He registered seven strikeouts and limited the Eagles to four singles.  Curtis Flint worked the seventh inning in relief, allowing two runs on four hits.  He had two strikeouts.

Logan Empson (L, 0-1) took the loss on the pitching mound for Avila.  He allowed three runs on five hits.  Dominic Davies, Konnor Thompson each tossed 2/3 scoreless innings in relief.  Armando Arguello worked for two outs and gave up three runs.  Corbin Hamman and Austin Rodgers also pitched scoreless in relief.

The Trojans tallied 10 hits in the game compared to the Eagles eight hits.  DSU outhit AU 10-8.