March 29, 2024

La CROSSE, Wis. – Dakota State (S.D.) returned to the North Star Athletic Association baseball action Friday, starting their four-game series with Viterbo (Wis.) at Viterbo Outdoor Activities Complex.  The Trojans started fast in the four-game series opener, holding on to a 9-6 victory.  The V-Hawks rallied back in the final inning, earning a walk-off 3-2 victory to earn a doubleheader split.

Dakota State is 22-9 overall record and 5-1 record in the North Star contests.  Viterbo is 6-28 overall record and 5-5 NSAA conference record.

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

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 9, Viterbo (Wis.) 6 – FINAL

Dakota State raced to an 8-0 lead after two-and-half innings in the first game of the four-game series.  The Trojans held off the V-Hawks' late comeback to secure the first game.

Jeremy Green led off the game with a walk and swiped to second base for DSU.  Ned Ceklic added a walk, followed by Ryan McDaniel's single to set up a bases loaded situation.

Walker Hultgren produced 2-RBI single to score Green and Ceklic to give Dakota State a 2-0 early lead in the top first (catcher's courtesy runner Seth Altwine advanced to third base on the same play).

The Trojans made it 3-0 in the top first frame as Cassidy Watt collected an RBI fielder's choice to score Altwine (Hultgren was out at second base on the same play).

DSU plated three more runs in the top second inning.  Dawson Portner led off with a double.  Ceklic added a walk with one out.  McDaniel blasted a 3-run home run to score Portner and Ceklic to balloon the Trojans' lead to 6-0.  It was his second home run this season and his 14^th overall at DSU.

Cory Brownson extended his hitting streak to 15 games as he kicked off the top third with a single.  Aidan Perry hit a single with one out and advanced Brownson to second base.  Green registered a walk to set up a bases loaded situation with two outs.

Ceklic earned an RBI walk to score Brownson as the Trojans led 7-0 in the top third inning.  McDaniel followed up with an RBI single to score Perry to extend their lead to 8-0.

Viterbo broke their scoring drought with a run in the bottom half of the third inning.  Camden Smith and Ryan Mesa opened with back-to-back walks.  Gavin Daniel hit a fly out to right field to advance Smith to third base.

A passed ball by the Trojans allowed Smith to score as the V-Hawks trailed 8-1 after three innings.

VU added a run in the bottom fourth.  Brett Stuessel reached on base caused by DSU's defensive error.  Cody Wells drilled a double to advance Stuessel to third base.  Smith hit an RBI single with two outs to score Stuessel as Viterbo trimmed the Trojans' lead to 8-2.

Viterbo mounted a comeback in the bottom sixth inning with three runs scored, highlighted by Garret Heying's RBI walk and Mesa's RBI single.  The V-Hawks added a run caused by the Trojans' passed ball, trailing 8-6.

Portner smashed a solo home run with two outs to extend DSU's lead to 9-6 in the top seventh.  It was his third home run this season and his seventh career home run at Dakota State.

Viterbo left two runners on base when the game ended, securing the victory for Dakota State.

The Trojans outhit the V-Hawks 9-8 in the game.  Both teams left seven runners on base.

McDaniel powered DSU's offense attack by going perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a home run, three singles and drove in a game-high four RBIs.  Portner added a home run, double, and an RBI.  Hultgren had a single and two RBIs.  Ceklic registered three walks and scored twice.  Brownson and Perry each tallied a hit.  Green recorded two walks and a stolen base.

Wells was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two singles, and scored two runs for VU.  Smith added a single and two RBIs.  Mesa had a hit, RBI, and recorded two walks.  Blake Warner, Kyle Sontag, and Chance Claman each had a single.

Sam Tyrpa (W, 4-2) earned the victory on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He tossed five innings and allowed three unearned runs on four hits.  He registered six strikeouts.  Aiden Urbom worked for an out in the bottom sixth inning, while Johan Freudenburg (S, 1) earned the save after shutting down the V-Hawks in the final 1 2/3 innings of the game.

Cale Beckman (L, 1-4) took the setback after pitching 2 2/3 innings for Viterbo.  He allowed eight runs on six hits and issued six walks.  Bryant Koenig tossed 4 1/3 innings in relief, giving up one run on three hits.  He had five strikeouts.

Game 2 – Viterbo (Wis.) 3, Dakota State (S.D.) 2 – FINAL

Neither DSU nor VU scored through the first three-and-half innings of the nine-inning contest.  The V-Hawks struck first in the bottom fourth frame.

Specner Hans led off the bottom fourth with a single for Viterbo.  Stuessel recorded a walk to advance Hans to second base.  Claman recorded a sacrifice bunt to advance Hans to third base and Stuessel to second base.  Wells produced an RBI ground out to score Hans to give VU a 1-0 lead.

Dakota State snapped their scoring drought in the top sixth inning.  Ceklic led off with a walk.  McDaniel smashed a double to advance Michael Buchmann, pinch runner for Ceklic, to third base.  Hultgren hit an RBI sacrifice bunt to score Buchmann to knot the game at 1-1 (catcher's courtesy runner Altwine advanced to third base on the same play).

DSU grabbed a 2-1 lead as Watt followed up with an RBI double to score Altwine in the top sixth.

VU stormed back in the final inning with two runs to secure the victory with two outs.  Stuessel led off with a walk and advanced to second base after a defensive error by the Trojans on a bunt play from Claman.  Kyle Sontag recorded a sacrifice bunt to advance Stuessel to third and Claman to third base.

The Trojans prevented the V-Hawks from scoring on the next at-bat from Cody Lozano.  He hit a fielder's choice as Stuessel was tagged out at home.  Lozano then advanced to second base after DSU's wild pitch.

Daniel reached safely on base after DSU's defensive error, allowing Claman to score as Viterbo tied the game at 2-2 with two outs.

Smith hit a walk-off RBI single to score Marcus Hornacek, pinch runner for Lozano, for a 3-2 VU win.

The Trojans tallied six hits in the game and committed three defensive errors in the game.  The V-Hawks were held to three singles.

McDaniel was 2-of-4 at the plate with a double and single for Dakota State.  Watt added a double, single, and an RBI.  Ceklic and Brownson (extended his hitting streak to a season-high 16 games) each had a single and walk.  Hultgren collected an RBI.

Hans, Smith, and Heying each registered a single for Viterbo.  Smith, Wells, and Daniel each had an RBI. 

Hunter Vikemyr (L, 6-2) took the defeat on the pitching mound for DSU.  He worked for 8 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two unearned) on three hits.  He registered six strikeouts.

Anthony Sanchez started the game on the pitching mound for VU.  He tossed 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits.  He had five strikeouts.  Nolan Hines pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings in relief.  Kyle Burns (W, 1-0) earned the victory after tossing two scoreless innings, yielding two hits.