April 5, 2024

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) blasted five home runs, including a pair of grand slams, Friday afternoon to open the North Star Athletic Association baseball four-game series with a doubleheader sweep over Dickinson State (N.D.) at Flynn Field.  The Trojans cruised past the Blue Hawks 17-4 in the first game and 11-3 in the second game, extending their home field winning streak to 11 games.

Dakota State won their third and fourth straight game, raising their overall record to 26-9 and 9-1 record in the league.  Dickinson State fell to 6-27 overall record and 3-10 NSAA conference record.

Both teams wrap up their North Star's four-game series with another doubleheader Saturday afternoon.  The first game is set for 12 noon.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 17, Dickinson State (N.D.) 4 – FINAL

Dakota State poured in six runs in the bottom second inning and never trailed for the rest of the game.  After Walker Hultgren's lead-off walk, Cassidy Watt smashed a 2-run run home to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead.  It was his second home run this season for Watt.

The Trojans continued their scoring surge in the bottom second with two outs.  Aidan Perry hit a single and advanced to second base after Dawson Portner's hit-by-pitch.  Jeremy Green followed up with an RBI single to score Perry (Portner advanced to third base on the same play) as DSU led 3-0.  Green swiped to second base.

DSU made it 4-0 when Cory Brownson hit an RBI single to score Portner in the bottom second (Green advanced to third base).  The Trojans got another RBI single from Ryan McDaniel, scoring Green for a 5-0 lead.   The Blue Hawks committed a defensive error on the same play, allowing Brownson to score to balloon the Trojans' lead to 6-0.

Alberto Nieto and Cameron Erickson recorded back-to-back hit-by-pitches for DiSU in the top third inning.  Carlos Molina, Jr. hit a 3-run home run with two outs, scoring Nieto and catcher's courtesy runner Luke Clinton, as Dickinson State trailed 6-3.

Dakota State exploded for eight runs in the bottom fourth frame, thanks to a pair of home runs.  Perry led off with a walk, followed by Portner's hit-by-pitch.  Green recorded a fielder's choice bunt to advance Portner to second base, while Perry was forced out at third base.

Brownson blasted a 3-run home run to score Portner and Green to widen DSU's lead to 9-3 in the bottom fourth.  It was Brownson's sixth home run this season at Dakota State.

Hultgren recorded a walk with two outs in the bottom fourth for the Trojans.  Watt followed up with a single and a walk from Ned Ceklic to set up a bases loaded situation.  DSU made it 10-3 after Bubba Thompson's RBI walk to score Hultgren.

Perry smashed a grand slam to score Watt, Ceklic, and Thompson for Dakota State's 14-3 lead in the bottom fourth.  It was Perry's third home run this season.

The Trojans produced three runs in the bottom sixth, highlighted by Hunter Vikemyr's 2-RBI single.  DSU added a run caused by Blue Hawks' wild pitch to make it 17-3 in favor of the Trojans.

DiSU scored once in the top seventh inning (DSU led 17-4).  The Blue Hawks left a runner on base when the game ended, securing the victory for Dakota State. 

The Trojans outhit the Blue Hawks 11-7 in the game.  DiSU left 10 runners on base compared to DaSU five runners left on base.

Brownson was 3-of-4 at the plate with a home run, double, single, and drove in four runs for Dakota State.  Perry added a home run, single, and collected four RBIs.  Watt had a home run, single, and two RBIs.  Green and McDaniel each tallied a single and an RBI.  Green swiped one base.

Vikemyr registered a hit and two RBIs for the Trojans.  Hultgren had two walks and scored twice.  Thompson also had two walks and collected an RBI.  Portner had two hit-by-pitches, a single, and scored two times.

Molina, Jr. paced the Blue Hawks with a home run and drove in three runs.  Jace Buchanan had two hits.  Nieto, Erickson, Mathias Dufner, and Kadin Finders each recorded a single.

Sam Tyrpa (W, 5-2) earned the victory on the pitching mound for DSU.  He tossed six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.  He struck out DiSU's batters six times.  Aiden Rocha pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief.

Trent Richter (L, 0-6) took the defeat after working for three-plus innings for DiSU.  He gave up eight runs (one unearned) on five hits.  Cooper Van Luchene pitched two innings in relief. Allowing six runs on five hits.  Michael Wishowski pitched the bottom sixth, giving up three runs (one unearned) on one hit.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 11, Dickinson State (N.D.) 3 – FINAL

Dakota State took the first lead in the second game of a nine-inning contest.  Green reached first base after a defensive miscue by the Blue Hawks.  He swiped to second base.

DiSU committed their second defensive error in the bottom first, allowing McDaniel to reach safely on first base (advanced to second base).  Green advanced to third base on the same play and scored home to give DSU a 1-0 lead.

Cameron DeMaria led off the bottom second with a double for Dakota State.  Perry followed up with a single to advance DeMaria to third base.  Portner drilled an RBI single to score DeMaria as the Trojans extended their lead to 2-0.

Dickinson State answered with two runs in the top fourth frame to knot the game at 2-2.  Jace Buchanan hit a 2-run home run, scoring Kadin Finders who reached on base by a walk with two outs. 

The Trojans responded with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning.  Watt led off with a walk and advanced to third base after DeMaria's double.  Perry produced an RBI single to score Watt (DeMaria advanced to third base) as DSU regained their lead at 3-2.

Dakota State made it 4-2 in the bottom fourth as Thompson produced an RBI fielder's choice to score DeMaria.

The Trojans hit four straight singles from Brownson, McDaniel, Hultgren, and Watt in the bottom fifth.  Brownson was tagged out at home after Hultgren's single, DeMaria smashed a grand slam to balloon the DSU's lead to 8-2 (scored catcher's courtesy runner Altwine, Hultgren, and Watt).

Perry followed up with a single and swiped to second base in the bottom fifth for DSU.  Thompson hit an RBI single to score Perry to make it 9-2 Trojans.

With bases loaded situation and two outs in the top seventh for Dickinson State, Clinton scored after the Trojans committed a wild pitch (Dakota State led 9-3).

Green drilled a lead-off double in the bottom eighth for the Trojans.  McDaniel produced an RBI single to score Green to extend DSU's lead to 10-3.

Hultgren added a solo home run in the bottom eighth inning for DSU.  It was his eighth home run of the season and his 23^rd home run at Dakota State.  He also tied the DSU all-time record for runs scored with 130 runs (Josh Cuffe from 2002-05).

Dickinson State left a runner on base in the top ninth inning, securing the victory for Dakota State.

The Trojans pounded out 17 hits in the game, with seven hits being extra base hits.  The Blue Hawks were held to six hits. 

Dakota State's defense produced four double plays in the game (DeMaria four times, Perry three times, and Thompson and Portner with two times each).

DeMaria powered the Trojans' offense attack by going 3-of-4 at the plate with a home run, two doubles and drove in a game-high four RBIs.  Perry added three singles and an RBI.  Hultgren had a home run, single, and an RBI.  McDaniel had three singles and an RBI.  Green and Watt each had a hit and two runs scored.  Brownson tallied a double and single.  Thomspon collected a single and two RBIs.  Portner had a double and an RBI.  Green and Perry each swiped one base.

Buchanan hit a home run and drove in two runs for the Blue Hawks.  Dufner added two hits.  Erickson, Olina, Jr., and Finders each registered a hit.  Finders, Nieto, and Nathaniel Jilek each recorded a stolen base.

Vikemyr (W, 7-2) earned the victory after tossing 6 2/3 innings for Dakota State.  He allowed three runs (one unearned) on six hits.  He recorded five strikeouts.  Curtis Flint pitched 2 1/3 shutout innings in relief.  He also registered five strikeouts.

Jonathan Lerma (L, 1-4) recorded the defeat after working for five innings for Dickinson State.  He gave up nine runs (one unearned) on 13 hits.  Anthony Hanson pitched three innings in relief, allowing two runs on four hits.