March 15, 2024

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) exploded for 32 total hits Friday afternoon, earning the North Star Athletic Association baseball conference opener doubleheader sweep over Mayville State (N.D.) at Flynn Field.  The Trojans ballooned their home field winning streak to seven games (dating back to last season) with a pair of 10-run victories over the Comets 12-2 and 11-1 in eight innings.

Dakota State raised their overall record to 16-6 and 2-0 NSAA conference record.  Mayville State fell to 5-18 overall record and 0-2 NSAA record.

The Trojans earned their ninth win in the last 10 games in the series meeting with the Comets.

Both teams wrap up their NSAA four-game series Saturday with another doubleheader, starting at 11 a.m.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 12, Mayville State (N.D.) 2 – FINAL

Dakota State fell behind 2-0 in the opening inning of the seven-inning contest and scored 12 straight runs for the rest of the game to secure the North Star Athletic Association baseball opener.

Marcus Hughes led off the game with a single to right field.  Chris Shopbell drilled an RBI double to score Hughes to earn a 1-0 lead in favor of Mayville State.  Zachary Evanochko reached safely on first base after DSU's defensive error with two outs, allowing Shopbell to score home for 2-0 MSU lead.

Ned Ceklic blasted a solo home run with one out in the bottom half of the first frame as the Trojans trailed 2-1.  It was his second home run of the season.

Dakota State exploded for seven runs in the bottom second inning, highlighted with five singles and a home run.  Cory Brownson led off with a walk and advanced to second base after Bubba Thompson's sacrifice.  Aidan Perry produced an RBI single to score Brownson as DSU knotted the game at 2-2.

Perry swiped to second base in the bottom second, followed by Dawson Portner's hit-by-pitch for the Trojans.  DSU produced three straight RBI singles from Jeremy Green, Ceklic, and Ryan McDaniel to balloon DSU's lead to 5-2.

Walker Hultgren smashed a 3-run home run to cap Dakota State's second inning offensive explosion, increasing their lead to 8-2.

Dakota State extended their lead to 10-2 in the bottom fourth inning after scoring two runs.  Cassidy Watt collected an RBI to score Hultgren, who led off with a double and advanced to third caused by MSU's defensive error. 

Brownson added a double and scored home after Perry's RBI single as DSU led by eight runs after four innings.

Hultgren hit an RBI double and added a run caused by Mayville State's defensive error for Dakota State's 12-2 lead in the bottom fifth.

The Comets left a runner on base when the game ended, securing the victory for the Trojans.

Dakota State outhit Mayville State 14-5 in the game.  MSU committed five defensive errors compared to DSU two defensive errors.

Hultgren was 3-of-4 at the plate with a home run, two doubles, single, and drove in a game-high four runs for DSU.  Ceklic and Perry each had two hits and two RBIs.  Perry swiped two bases.  Portner recorded a stolen base.  Jeremy Green had two singles and an RBI.  McDaniel collected three hits and an RBI.  Brownson and Thompson each registered a hit.

Shopbell had a double and an RBI for MSU.  Anthony Villanueva added a double.  Hughes, Sam Hilgersom, and Ricky Marquez each recorded a single.

Sam Tyrpa (W, 3-2) tossed a complete game victory for Dakota State.  He yielded the Comets to two runs (one unearned) on five hits.  He struck out six MSU's batters.

Gregor Farquharson (L, 1-4) took the defeat on the pitching mound for Mayville State.  He gave up ten runs (three unearned) on 11 hits.  Brady Robinson pitched two innings in relief, allowing two runs (one unearned) on three hits.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 11, Mayville State (N.D.) 1 – FINAL/8 innings

Dakota State never trailed in the second game of the four-game series, defeating Mayville State in a 10-run mercy rule in the eighth inning of the nine-inning game.

The Trojans' defense halted the Comets to score in the opening inning, despite a lead-off double by Hughes.  With runners on third and first bases (after Shopbell's walk), DSU's defense ended the top first inning with a double play by Perry, Thompson, and Ceklic.

Dakota State grabbed the first lead of the game at 1-0 in the bottom second after a home run by Brownson.  It was his third home run this season.

DSU plated another run in the bottom third inning to extend their lead, thanks to three consecutive singles with two outs from Ceklic, McDaniel, and Hultgren.  Hultgren produced an RBI single to score Ceklic to make it 2-0 in favor of the Trojans.

Dakota State's scoring surge continued in the fourth frame with three runs.  Thompson drilled a double with one out, followed by Perry's walk.  Green hit an RBI single to score Thompson, followed by Ceklic's 2-RBI single to score Perry and Green to balloon DSU's lead to 5-0.

Mayville State snapped their scoring drought with a lead-off solo home run by Carson Lundmark (DSU led 5-1) in the top sixth.

The Trojans added two runs in the bottom half of the sixth, highlighted with a pair of runs scored by balks committed by the Comets.  Hultgren closed the sixth inning with a solo home run to widen Dakota State's lead to 8-1.

Dakota State made it 9-1 in the bottom seventh as Green hit an RBI double to score Thompson, who led off with a single.

DSU ended the game in the bottom eighth frame, thanks to a walk-off 2-run home run by Hultgren (scored catcher's courtesy runner Seth Altwine, where McDaniel led off the inning with a double).  It was Hultgren's third home run on the same day, his seventh home run this season and his 22^nd career home run at DSU (third all-time in the baseball school record book).

Dakota State pounded out 18 hits in the game and limited Mayville State to four hits.  The Trojans tallied seven extra-bases hits in the game – three home runs and four doubles.

Hultgren blasted two home runs and added a single for DSU.  He drove in four runs.  Green and Ceklic each added three hits and two RBIs.  McDaniel had a double and two singles.  Brownson recorded two hits and an RBI.  Watt and Thompson each registered two hits.

Lundmark led the Comets with a home run, single, and an RBI.  Hughes and Villanueva each added a hit.

Hunter Vikemyr (W, 5-1) earned the victory on the pitching mound for DSU.  He tossed seven innings and limited MSU to one run on four hits.  He recorded nine strikeouts.  Aiden Urbom pitched a shutout eighth inning in relief, collecting two strikeouts.

Austin McClure (L, 0-2) took the defeat after working for five innings for MSU.  He allowed five runs on 11 hits.  Ryan Froemke and Caiden Schwehr each pitched one inning relief.