March 9, 2024

HANNIBAL, Mo. – Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) notched their first win in the four-game series with Dakota State (S.D.) Saturday evening, earning a 7-5 victory at Hannibal High School baseball field.  DSU clinched the four-game series victory for the third straight time this season (defeated Avila, Mo., with a 4-0 record, and Sterling, Kan., with a 3-1 record), shutting down H-L 11-0 in the series finale. 

Dakota State earned their sixth win in the last seven games, lifting their overall record to 14-6.  The Trojans had scored double digits for the fifth time in the previous six games.  Hannibal-LaGrange, a member of the American Midwest Conference, is 5-10 overall record.

DSU opens their 24-game North Star Athletic Association baseball schedule next weekend at home.  Dakota State hosts Mayville State (N.D.) in a four-game series at Flynn Field.  The first doubleheader takes place on Friday at 1 p.m., followed by another doubleheader next Saturday 12 p.m.

The conference four-game series consists of two-day doubleheader, with the first game on each day being a seven-inning contest followed by a nine-inning contest.  If the first game goes to extra innings through nine innings, that game will be counted as a nine-inning game followed by the second game being a seven-inning contest.

Game 1 – Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 7, Dakota State (S.D.) 5 – FINAL

Hannibal-LaGrange opened the bottom first inning with the first three batters reaching safely on base.  Samuel Patterson led off with a single and advanced to second base after Mason Tharp's hit-by-pitch.  Isaiah Hoelscher drilled a 2-RBI double to score Patterson and Tharp to give H-L a 2-0 lead.

H-L Trojans made it 3-0 as Cole Trautman hit an RBI single to score Hoelscher in the bottom first.

Dakota State snapped their scoring drought in the top third frame, plating four runs to overtake the lead.  Hunter Vikemyr led off with a single.  Dawson Porter was hit-by-pitch and advanced Vikemyr to second base.  Jeremy Green reached safely on first base caused by H-L's defensive error, allowing Portner and Vikemyr to score as DSU trailed 3-2.

DSU knotted the game at 3-3 as Ryan McDaniel drilled an RBI double to score Green in the top third.  Cole Brownson added an RBI single to score catcher's courtesy runner's Seth Altwine to make it 4-3 in favor of Dakota State.

Hannibal-LaGrange registered three straight walks to set up a bases loaded situation with one out in the bottom third (Adam Lange, Trautman, and Charlie Culp).  Seth Iken produced a 2-RBI single to score Lange and Trautman as H-L regained their lead to 5-4.

Dakota State answered with a run in the top fourth inning, thanks to Bubba Thompson's lead-off double.  Vikemyr added a walk.  Portner produced a sacrifice bunt to advance Thompson to third base and Vikemyr to second base.

Green hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Thompson as DSU tied the game at 5-5 in the top fourth.

H-L led off the bottom fourth with a bases loaded situation after Patterson and Tharp back-to-back singles followed by Hoelscher's walk.  Lange collected an RBI ground out to score Patterson, where DSU's defense produced a double play on the same play.  Hannibal-LaGrange led 6-5 after four innings.

With two runners on base with two outs in the bottom fifth inning, H-L extended their lead to 7-5 after Patterson's RBI single.

Dakota State was unable to come back in the final inning as they left one runner on base, securing the victory for Hannibal-LaGrange.

H-L outhit DSU 8-7 in the game.  Both teams left five runners on base.

Brownson led Dakota State with two singles and an RBI.  Green added a single and three RBIs.  McDaniel had a double and an RBI.  Vikemyr and Thompson each had a hit, run, and walk.  Walker Hultgren tallied a single.

Patterson paced H-L's offense with three singles and an RBI.  Hoelscher added a double, two RBIs, and two walks.  Iken collected two singles and two Rbis.  Trautman recorded a single and an RBI.

Nicholai Arbach worked the first two outs of the game in the bottom first for DSU.  JD Kirchner (L, 1-1) took the defeat after tossing four innings in relief.  He gave up four runs on four hits and recorded seven strikeouts.  He is one strikeout shy of tying the all-time DSU school record for strikeouts by a pitcher. 

Cole Thompson (W, 2-2) earned the victory on the pitching mound for H-L.  He tossed six innings and allowed five runs (four unearned) on six hits.  Deryk Carey (S, 1) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to secure a save.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 11, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 0 – FINAL

Dakota State tallied 13 hits in the four-game series, pulling away past Hannibal-LaGrange after a six-run production in the sixth inning.

DSU got on the scoreboard in the top second frame.  Aidan Perry drilled a double with one out, followed by Bubba Thompson's hit-by-pitch.  Portner added a single to set up a bases loaded situation.  Green reached first base with a fielder's choice where Perry was forced out at home.

Ned Ceklic recorded an RBI walk to score Thompson to give Dakota State a 1-0 lead in the top second inning.

Thompson blasted a 2-RBI triple with two outs, scoring Perry and Brownson who both registered back-to-back walks for Dakota State in the top third (DSU led 3-0).

Dakota State scored two runs with two outs in the top fifth inning.  Brownson was hit-by-pitch followed by Perry's single to advance Brownson to third base.  Brownson scored home after H-L's wild pitch to extend DSU's lead to 4-0 (Perry advanced to second base).

DSU made it 5-0 as Thompson hit an RBI single to score Perry in the top fifth frame.

Dakota State exploded for six runs to balloon their lead to 11-0 in the top sixth, highlighted by Hultgren's RBI single, Perry's RBI walk, Thompson's 2-RBI double, and Portner's RBI single.

Hannibal-LaGrange left one runner on base when the game ended, securing the victory for Dakota State.

DSU outhit H-L 13-3 in the game.

Thompson powered Dakota State's offense by going 3-of-3 at the plate with a triple, double, single, and drove in a game-high five runs.  Portner added three singles and two RBIs.  Perry had a double, single, two walks, and an RBI.  Hultgren collected two singles and an RBI.  Cassidy Watt and Brownson each added a hit.  Ceklic recorded two walks and an RBI.

Patterson, Hoelscher, and Isaac Phillips each recorded a single for Hannibal-LaGrange.

Will Clair (W, 4-0) pitched a complete game victory for DSU.  He limited H-L to three singles and registered seven strikeouts.

Hoelscher (L, 0-2) took the defeat after pitching three innings for Hannibal-LaGrange.  He allowed three runs on four hits.  Tharp, Whitfield Haydon, Tanner Malusky, and Rylan Hankins each tossed in relief.