March 8, 2024

HANNIBAL, Mo. – Dakota State (S.D.) outscored Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 34-8 Friday in a doubleheader sweep over Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) at Nichols Field.  DSU won the battle of the Trojans, cruising past H-L 16-1 in the first game and waited a few hours later to play their second game with an 18-7 victory.

Dakota State won their fifth straight game, raising their overall record to 13-5.  Hannibal-LaGrange, a member of the American Midwest Conference, fell to 4-9 overall record.

It was the fourth straight game that Dakota State scored in double digits, racking up 58 total runs in those four consecutive games.

Both teams play another doubleheader Saturday to complete their four-game series, starting at 12 p.m.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 16, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 1 – FINAL

After a scoreless first inning in the first game of the four-game series, Dakota State poured in a combined 16 runs from the second through sixth innings to roll past Hannibal-LaGrange.

Cory Brownson recorded a walk with one out in the top second frame for DSU.  Aidan Perry reached safely on base after HLU's defensive error and advanced Brownson to second base.  With Bubba Thompson on first base and Brownson on third base after the fielder's choice (Perry out at second base), Brownson scored home after another defensive miscue by Hannibal-LaGrange to give a DSU a 1-0 lead.

Dakota State exploded for seven runs in the top third inning.  Jeremy Green led off with a walk and swiped to second base.  Ryan McDaniel, who set the all-time school record in total hits last month versus William Woods (Mo.) in the Joplin (Mo.) tournament, produced an RBI single to score Green to extend DSU's lead to 2-0.

With two outs and a runner on third base, Dakota State scored six more runs capped by Dawson Portner's 2-run home run blast to make it 8-0 in the top third.  It was his second home run this season and his sixth carer home run at Dakota State.

DSU made it 9-0 to kick off the top fourth inning with a lead-off solo home run by Ned Ceklic.  It was his first career collegiate home run at Dakota State.

Brownson added an RBI double to score Seth Altwine, catcher's courtesy runner for McDaniel who reached on base with a walk.  DSU ballooned their lead to 10-0 after three-and-half innings.

Hannibal-LaGrange ended their scoring drought with a run in the bottom half of the fourth inning.  Cole Arndorfer produced an RBI single as H-L trimmed DSU's lead to 10-1.

Walker Hultgren hit a 2-RBI single to increase Dakota State's lead to 12-1 in the top fifth.  Cassidy Watt blasted a 3-run home run on the next at-bat as DSU led 15-1.  It was his first career collegiate home run at Dakota State.

DSU made it 16-1 in the top sixth inning with two outs, drilling an RBI triple.

Dakota State outhit Hannibal-LaGrange 16-3 in the game.  H-L committed six defensive miscues compared to DSU one defensive error.

Watt paced Dakota State with a home run, single and drove in a game-high four runs.  Portner added a home run, single, and two RBIs.  Ceklic registered a home run and an RBI.  DeMaria tallied a triple and an RBI.  McDaniel collected two hits and an RBI.  Hultgren had a single and two RBIs.  Brownson earned a double, single, and an RBI.  Perry and Altwine each had a hit.  Altwine scored three times and recorded two stolen bases.  Green had a single.  Green swiped three bases. 

Arndorfer led Hannibal-LaGrange with a single and an RBI.  Isaiah Hoelscher and Charlie Culp each added a single and a walk.

Sam Tyrpa (W, 2-2) earned the victory on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He worked for six innings and yielded H-L to one run on three hits.  He registered six strikeouts.  Kellan Johns tossed a shutout in the seventh inning in relief.

Adam Lange (L, 1-1) recorded the setback after pitching 3 2/3 innings for Hannibal-LaGrange.  He allowed 10 runs (seven unearned) on eight hits.  Justin Mattingly worked for 3 1/3 innings in relief, giving up six runs (one unearned) on eight hits.

Game 2:  Dakota State (S.D.) 18, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 7 – FINAL

Dakota State scored at least a run in all seven innings in the second game of the doubleheader.  DSU scored 18 runs through six-and-half innings before H-L exploded for seven runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning.

Green opened the game with a walk and swiped two bases to second and third bases.  Ceklic followed up with a walk.  Green scored caused by H-L's defensive error to give DSU a 1-0 lead in the top first (Ceklic advanced to second base).

Dakota State added a pair of runs caused by Hannibal-LaGrage's defensive miscue, extending their lead to 3-0 in the top second inning.

DSU made it 5-0 after three innings, highlighted by Perry's RBI double with two outs and added a run after H-L's wild pitch.

Ceklic led off the top fourth with a double and advanced to third after H-L's wild pitch.  Ceklic scored on a wild pitch to extend DSU's lead to 6-0.  Brownson added an RBI double to make it 7-0, scoring Watt who reached on base after being hit-by-pitch.

Green produced an RBI sacrifice fly in the top fifth inning to increase Dakota State's lead to 8-0.

DSU plated nine runs in the top sixth inning to widen their lead to 17-0. 

DeMaria added an RBI single in the top seventh to make it 18-0 in favor of DSU.  H-L scored seven runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning to complete the final score, securing the victory for Dakota State.

DSU outhit H-L 15-4 in the game.  Hannibal-LaGrange committed seven defensive errors compared to Dakota State one error.

Brownson tallied two doubles and two RBIs for DSU.  DeMaria and Perry each registered two hits and two RBIs.  Perry swiped one base.  Ceklic had a double and two RBIs.  Green recorded a single and two RBIs.  He swiped three bases.  Daniel Lesher and Thompson each collected a single and an RBI.  Portner had two stolen bases. 

McDaniel added a hit in the game for Dakota State.  He accumulated 195 career hits after Friday's doubleheader, surpassing the previous record held by Josh Cuffe with 186 career hits from 2002-05.

Rene Gutierrez led Hannibal-LaGrange with a double and three RBIs.  G. Ibarra added two hits and an RBI.

Hunter Vikemyr (W, 4-1) earned the victory, tossing five scoreless innings for Dakota State.  He limited H-L to two hits and recorded five strikeouts.  Keaton Yong and Lucas Severson also pitched in relief.

Peyton Nipper (L, 0-1) took the loss after working for 3 2/3 innings for Hannibal-LaGrange.  He gave up six runs (three unearned) on four hits.  Whitfield Haydon, Tanner Malusky, and Isaac Phillips also pitched in relief.