March 23, 2024

MARSHALL, Mo. – Dakota State (S.D.) and Missouri Valley earned another non-conference baseball split Saturday afternoon at Indian Foothills Park.  The Vikings rallied back to defeat the Trojans 4-3 in the first game, while DSU shut down MVC 6-0 in the four-game series finale.

Dakota State is 21-8 overall record.  Missouri Valley, a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, is 12-15 overall record. 

The Trojans return to the North Star Athletic Association action next weekend, visiting Viterbo (Wis.) in a four-game series.  The series takes place in La Crosse, Wis., Friday and next Saturday with 12 p.m. starting time on each day.

Game 1 – Missouri Valley 4, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL

The game was scoreless after two innings in the first game of the doubleheader.

Dakota State grabbed the first lead of the game in the top third frame, thanks to Aidan Perry's solo home run with one out for a 1-0 lead.  It was his second home run this season.

Missouri Valley answered with two runs in the bottom half of the third inning.  Nick Tsoulfanidis reached safely on base caused by DSU's defensive error.  He advanced to second base after Joe Hedger's ground out.  Ivory Daniles hit an RBI single to score Tsoulfanidis as the Vikings knotted the game at 1-1.

MVC produced another two singles from Ruben Fernandez and Hiroto Kobayashi.  Kobayashi collected an RBI single to score Daniels as the Vikings earned a 2-1 lead in the bottom third.

The Trojans regained their lead in the top fourth inning.  Cassidy Watt hit a double with two outs.  Cory Brownson blasted a 2-run home run to give DSU a 3-2 lead, his fifth home run this season.

Hedger led off the bottom fifth inning with a single for Missouri Valley.  Daniels smashed a 2-run home run to overtake the lead for the second time at 4-3.

Dakota State was unable to convert their scoring opportunities in the top seventh inning, despite a lead-off single by Watt and a double with two outs by Perry.

MVC outhit DSU 7-6 in the game. 

Perry finished the game with a home run, double and an RBI for Dakota State.  Brownson added a home run and two RBIs.  Watt tallied a double and single.  Jeremy Green had a single.

Daniels led Missouri Valley with a home run, single, and drove in a game-high three RBIs.  Kobayashi added a double, single, and an RBI.  Mason Baer and Hedger each registered a single.

Will Clair (L, 5-1) recorded the defeat after pitching a complete game for DSU.  He allowed four runs on seven hits.  He struck out MVC's batters nine times.

Dieterich Guertzgen (W, 4-2) earned a complete game victory for MVC.  He gave up three runs on six hits and recorded eight strikeouts.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 6, Missouri Valley 0 – FINAL

Dakota State and Missouri Valley did not score through the first four innings in the four-game series finale. 

The Trojans snapped their scoring drought after pouring in four runs in the top fifth frame.  DSU opened three straight singles from Watt, Brownson, and Bubba Thompson to set up a bases loaded situation.

Perry drilled a base-clearing 3-RBI double to score Watt, Brownson, and Thompson as Dakota State grabbed a 3-0 lead.  After Dawson Porter's ground out to advance Perry to third base, Green hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Perry as the Trojans ballooned their lead to 4-0.

Dakota State added two more runs in the top seventh inning. Portner hit a lead-off single and swiped to second base with one out.  Ryan McDaniel hit an RBI single to score Portner to extend DSU's lead to 5-0 (McDaniel advanced to second base caused by MVC's defensive error).

Walker Hultgren followed up with an RBI single to score Seth Altwine, catcher's courtesy runner for McDaniel, to make it 6-0 in favor of DSU in the top seventh.

DSU's Nicholai Arbach (W, 3-2) closed the game in the bottom seventh inning with a complete game victory, leaving one base for the Vikings.  Arbach scattered six hits in the game and recorded four strikeouts.

Perry and Green each had a double for Dakota State.  Perry drove in a game-high three runs, while Green added an RBI.  McDaniel and Hultgren each had a single and an RBI.  Watt, Brownson, and Thompson each registered a hit and a walk. 

Josh Turner had a double for Missouri Valley.  Kobayashi, Connor Bell, Josias Mogollon, and Baer each recorded a hit.

Mason Fenwick (L, 1-3) suffered a setback on the pitching mound, working for four innings for MVC.  He allowed four runs on five hits and registered four strikeouts.  Ryan Knipfer, Ty Ellis, and Caleb Bergman each worked in relief.