April 27, 2024

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The final North Star Athletic Association baseball regular-season series between host-team Dakota State (S.D.) and Waldorf (Iowa) was forced to relocate at Sanford Sports Complex, due to wet playing field conditions at Flynn Field.  Both teams played a tripleheader Saturday, while game four of the series is canceled due to poor weather forecast.

Dakota State shut down Waldorf 4-0 in the first game of the tripleheader, featuring a combined 20 strikeouts from both teams' starting pitchers.  The Trojans pulled away in the second game with the score of 8-1.

DSU lifted their overall record to 34-14 and 16-6 NSAA conference record.  WU fell to 19-26 overall record and 9-14 record in the league.

Dakota State plays Waldorf in the final regular-season contest on Senior Day at Sanford Sports Complex.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 4, Waldorf (Iowa) 0 – FINAL

Dakota State earned the first lead of the game in the bottom second inning after plating two runs.  Walker Hultgren and Cassidy Watt led off with back-to-back singles.  Ned Ceklic recorded a sacrifice bunt and reached safely caused by WU's defensive error, allowing Hultgren to score to give DSU a 1-0 lead (catcher's courtesy runner Seth Altwine advanced to third base on the same play).

Bubba Thompson recorded another sacrifice bunt and reached safely on first base after WU's defensive miscue in the bottom second.  He earned an RBI on the same play to score Altwine to extend DSU's lead to 2-0.

Dakota State made it 3-0 in the bottom third inning, sparked by Cory Brownson's lead-off double followed by Cameron DeMaria's single to advance Brownson to third base.  Hultgren produced an RBI sacrifice fly to score Brownson as the Trojans ballooned their lead to 3-0.

Jeremy Green blasted a triple with two outs in the bottom fourth frame for DSU.  Aidan Perry followed up with an RBI double to score Green as the Trojans' lead grew to 4-0.

Dakota State shut down Waldorf in the final inning, securing the victory.

The Trojans collected nine hits in the game compared to the Warriors six hits.  Both teams left seven runners on base.

Green led DSU with a triple, double, and a run scored.  DeMaria added a double and single.  Perry had a double and an RBI.  Hultgren and Thompson each recorded a single and an RBI.  Brownson and Cassiddy Watt each registered a hit.

Zach Meyer led the Warriors with a triple and single.  Kolby Amaral, Atticus Smith, Robert Gurney, and Ryan Miller each recorded a hit. 

Sam Tyrpa (W, 7-3) earned a complete game victory for Dakota State.  He limited the Warriors to six hits and recorded 10 strikeouts.

Ryan Meyer (L, 5-7) registered a complete game setback for Waldorf.  He allowed four runs (two unearned) on nine hits and registered 10 strikeouts.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 8, Waldorf (Iowa) 1 – FINAL

After Waldorf trimmed Dakota State's lead to 2-1 after four innings in the second game, the Trojans put together a pair of three-run offensive production in the fifth and sixth innings to pull away for an 8-1 victory.

The Trojans also set a new team record for most runs scored in a single season, racking up a total of 381 runs after this game (broke the previous record of 375 runs scored in 2023.

DeMaria led off the bottom second with a walk and advanced to second base after Hultgren's single.  Watt drilled a 2-RBI double to left center, scoring DeMaria and Hultgren to put DSU up 2-0.

The Warriors snapped their scoring drought with a run in the top fourth frame.  Amaral kicked off with a double and advanced to third after Z. Meyer's fly out.  Smith hit a 2-out RBI single to score Amaral as WU trailed 2-1.

Waldorf left the bases loaded in the top fourth inning as the Trojans prevented them from scoring.

Thompson led off the bottom fifth with a single and advanced to second base after Green's sacrifice bunt.  After a pitching change by the Warriors, Perry smashed a 2-run home run to score Thompson to extend DSU's lead to 4-1.  It was Perry's seventh home run this season for the Trojans.

Dakota State made it 5-1 in the bottom fifth as Hultgren hit an RBI single to score DeMaria, who drilled a double.

The Warriors also left the bases full in the top sixth inning as DSU held on to a 5-1 lead.

DSU plated three more runs in the bottom half of the sixth frame.  Ceklic led off with a walk.  Thompson blasted an RBI triple with one out, scoring Michael Buchmann, pinch runner for Ceklic, to balloon DSU's lead to 6-1.

Green was hit-by-pitch and Perry added a walk to set up a bases loaded situation for Dakota State in the bottom sixth.  Brownson recorded an RBI walk to score Thompson to make it 7-1 in favor of the Trojans.

Hultgren added an RBI single to score Green as DSU expanded their lead to 8-1.

The Warriors left a runner on first base when the game ended, securing the win for the Trojans.

Dakota State outhit Waldorf 8-5 in the game.  WU left eight runners on base compared to DSU seven runners left on base.  DSU's defense recorded two double plays, defensively by Perry, Thompson, and Ceklic.

Hultgren led the Trojans' offense attack by going 3-of-4 at the plate with three singles and drove in two runs.  Perry had a home run, two RBIs, and two walks.  Thompson added a triple, single, two runs scored, and an RBI.  DeMaria collected a double and a walk.  Watt had a double and two RBIs.  Ceklic tallied three walks. 

Robert Gurney collected two singles for Waldorf.  Amaral added a double, walk, and a run scored.  Smith had a single and an RBI.  Miller had a single and two walks.

Hunter Vikemyr started the game on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He tossed 3 2/3 innings and allowed a run on four hits.  JD Kirchner (W, 5-2) pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief to earn the victory.  He yielded the Warriors to one hit.

Kade Hobbs (L, 0-1) recorded the defeat after working 4 1/3 innings for Waldorf.  He gave up three runs on three hits and recorded five strikeouts.  Bernardo Cortez and Stephen Fugedy each worked in relief.