March 14, 2024

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.) officially kicked off the North Star Athletic Association softball season Thursday afternoon at Thue Field.  The Trojans and the Comets opened the four-game series with a doubleheader split by one run, with DSU winning the first game 8-7 by a walk-off RBI single by Michelle Evdos while MSU held on to a 5-4 victory in the second game.

Dakota State is 4-11 overall record.  Mayville State is 6-15 overall record.  Both teams are 1-1 record in the North Star.

Both teams play another doubleheader Friday afternoon.  The first game is set for 2 p.m. at Thue Field.

Game 1:  Dakota State (S.D.) 8, Mayville State (N.D.) 7 – FINAL

Both teams were scoreless after the first two innings in the first game.

Mayville State struck the scoreboard first in the top third inning, plating three runs with two outs.  With runners on third and first base, Megan Elliott produced an RBI single to give the Comets a 1-0 lead.

Alyssa Avila and Madison Terres hit back-to-back RBI singles to extend Mayville State's lead to 3-0.

Dakota State answered with two runs in the bottom half of the third frame.  Alexus Foster led off with a single and advanced to second after Hannah Feser's sacrifice bunt.  Foster advanced to third base after Ally Morrissey's ground out.  Hannah McFarland was hit-by-pitch with two outs and swiped to second base.

Mackenzie Sims produced a 2-RBI single to score Foster and McFarland as DSU trimmed MSU's lead to 3-2 after three innings.

The Trojans knotted the game in the bottom fifth inning, thanks to Foster's lead-off double.  After Feser's ground out to advance Foster to third base, Morrissey earned an RBI after reaching safely on base by MSU's error and allowed Foster to score as DSU tied the game at 3-3.

Dakota State poured in four runs in the bottom sixth frame.  Rosie Philop reached safely on base after a defensive error committed by the Comets.  Kamryn Petersen, pinch runner for Philop, swiped to second base. 

MSU committed two defensive errors on the same play, allowing Evdos to reach safely to second base.  Petersen scored on the same play to give the Trojans their first lead of the game at 4-3.

Delaney Barrett drilled an RBI double to score Olivia Peterson, pinch runner for Evdos, to extend Dakota State's lead to 5-3 in the bottom sixth inning.  Foster followed up with an RBI triple to score Barrett to make it 6-3 in favor of the Trojans.

Dakota State made it 7-3 in the bottom sixth inning as pinch hitter Quincy Hartley collected an RBI ground out to score Foster.

Mayville State stormed back in the top seventh inning, pouring in four runs to tie the game.  Lindsey Tulla led off with a single and advanced to second after Mackenzie Iverson's ground out.  Elliott hit a single to advance Tulla to third base.

The Comets trimmed their deficit to 7-4 as Avila hit an RBI single to score Tulla (pinch runner Kate Vigen advanced to third base).

MSU scored three more runs with two outs in the top seventh inning as Miquela Pino hit an RBI single and added two runs caused by DSU's defensive errors to tie the game at 7-7.

Philop hit a single with one out in the bottom seventh inning for DSU.  Jordyn Jeffries reached safely on base after MSU's defensive error.  Evdos hit a walk-off RBI single to score Philop to secure the North Star conference victory for Dakota State with one out.

MSU outhit DSU 9-8 in the game.  The Comets left eight runners on base compared to the Trojans three runners left on base.

Mayville State committed five defensive errors compared to Dakota State three defensive miscues.

Foster was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a triple, double, single, and an RBI for the Trojans.  Sims added a single and two RBIs.  Barrett recorded a double and an RBI.  Evdos had a single and an RBI.  Gabriella Ortega-Alves registered a hit.  Hartley and Morrissey each earned an RBI.

McFarland, Petersen, and Morrissey each swiped one base for DSU.

Avila and Terres each tallied two hits and two RBIs for the Comets.  Tulla collected two singles.  Pino registered a single and an RBI.  Elliott had two hits and an RBI.

Barrett (W, 3-3) earned the victory in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  She worked for 6 2/3 innings, including the final two outs in the top seventh inning.  She gave up three unearned runs on five hits.  Maycee Bricker worked an out in the top seventh.

Emily Haines pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs (two unearned) on five hits for Mayville State.  Autumn McGough (L, 1-1) took the defeat in relief, giving up an unearned run on three hits.

Game 2:  Mayville State (N.D.) 5, Dakota State (S.D.) 4 – FINAL

Mayville State used a fast start in the second game of the doubleheader, exploding for four runs in the top first.  Tulla led off with a walk and advanced to second after Iverson's single.  Elliott hit an RBI single to score Tulla to give MSU a 1-0 lead (Iverson advanced to second base).

With Iverson on third base and Elliott on second base after Avila's ground out, Terres recorded an RBI ground out to score Iverson as the Comets extended their lead to 2-0 in the top first.

Pino followed up with a single to advance Elliott to third base in the top first for Mayville State.  McGough blasted a 2-RBI triple to score Elliott and Pino to balloon their lead to 4-0.

The game was scoreless from second through fifth innings.

McGough opened the top sixth inning with a single.  She advanced to second base after Erika Howell's sacrifice bunt.  Pinch hitter Ryanne Bass registered a fielder's choice as McGough was safe on third base on the same play.

Tulla hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score McGough as Mayville State extended their lead to 5-0 in the top sixth.

Dakota State ignited a comeback in the bottom half of the sixth inning with four runs.  Ortega-Alves, pinch hitting for Olivia Peterson, led off with a single.  Morrissey reached safely on base caused by MSU's defensive error, allowing Peterson, who reentered the game for Ortega-Alves, advance to second base. 

McFarland was safe on first base after MSU's defensive error on her sacrifice bunt attempt in the bottom sixth.  After Sims' line out, Philop collected an RBI fielder's choice to score Peterson as DSU trailed 5-1.

Evdos followed up with an RBI single to score Morrissey as the Trojans cut the Comets' lead to 5-2 in the bottom sixth.  Jeffries drilled a 2-RBI triple to score Philop and Evdos as DSU reduced their deficit to 5-4.

Mayville State halted Dakota State's comeback in the final inning.  The Trojans left two runners on base when the game ended, despite a walk from Delaney Granger and a single from McFarland.

MSU outhit DSU 8-5 in the game.  The Comets left five runners on base compared to the Trojans four runners left on base.

Jeffries paced Dakota State with a triple and two RBIs.  Evdos added a single and an RBI.  McFarland, Foster, and Ortega-Alves each recorded a single.  Philop had a run scored and RBI. 

McGough led Mayville State with a triple, single, and two RBIs.  Elliott added two singles and an RBI.  Pino tallied two singles.  Tulla had a hit and an RBI. 

Analicia Burgos (L, 0-2) took the setback after working the first two outs of the game for the Trojans.  She allowed four runs on four hits.  Bricker tossed 6 1/3 innings in relief, yielding the Comets to one run on four hits.

Courtney Boll (W, 2-6) pitched a complete game victory for the Comets.  She allowed four runs (three unearned) on five hits.  She registered five strikeouts.