April 27, 2024

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Dakota State's (S.D.) Will Clair held Waldorf (Iowa) to just one hit in the third game of the North Star Athletic Association baseball tripleheader Saturday evening at Sanford Sports Complex.  The Trojans completed the tripleheader sweep of the Warriors by the score of 3-0 in the regular-season finale on Senior Day.

Dakota State raised their overall record to 35-14 and finished the North Star conference schedule with 17-6 record.  The Trojans won their 11^th straight meeting with the Warriors.  Waldorf fell to 19-26 overall record and completed the conference schedule with a 9-14 record.

DSU held WU to just one run in 21 total innings to complete a rare tripleheader.  They will not play the fourth game of the NSAA's four-game series Sunday due to rain in the forecast.

Dakota State honored their 13 seniors after the completion of the game.  They are Ty Christensen, Connor Cook, Johan Freudenburg, Walker Hultgren, JD Kirchner, Roch Laferriere, Ryan McDaniel, Gage Nagy, Dalton Nelson, Aiden Rocha, Bubba Thompson, Isaac Toledo, and Helmi Yatim.

DSU had secured the No. 2 seed for the upcoming North Star Athletic Association Baseball Postseason Tournament, which begins Friday at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark in Dickinson, N.D.  The Trojans open the tournament play against No. 7 seed Mayville State (N.D.).  The game times will be announced later.

Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Waldorf (Iowa) 0 – FINAL

Dakota State sparked the bottom third inning with four straight singles from Jeremy Green, Aidan Perry, Cory Brownson and Cameron DeMaria.  Brownson and DeMaria hit back-to-back RBI singles to score Green and Perry, respectively, giving the Trojans a 2-0 lead.

Hultgren followed up with an RBI sacrifice fly to score Brownson as DSU ballooned their lead to 3-0 in the bottom third.

Waldorf's first hit of the game did not come until the top seventh inning as Atticus Smith hit a lead-off single.  The Warriors left a runner on first base as the Trojans secured the final ever North Star conference meeting.

DSU collected six hits in the game compared to WU one hit. 

Cassidy Watt tallied two singles for Dakota State.  Brownson and DeMaria each added a single and an RBI.  Hultgren had an RBI and a walk.  Green and Perry each had a single and a run scored.  Dawson Portner swiped one base.

Smith led the Warriors with a single.

Clair (W, 9-2) earned a complete game victory for Dakota State.  He retired the first 12 batters of the game (through four innings) and limited the Warriors to one single.  He struck out WU's batters six times.

Zach Meyer (L, 4-3) took the complete game setback after pitching a complete game for Waldorf.  He gave up three runs on six hits.  He recorded five strikeouts.