April 6, 2024

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) scored at least a run for 12 consecutive innings Saturday on a windy Flynn Field, earning the North Star Athletic Association baseball four-game series sweep with another doubleheader victories over Dickinson State (N.D.).  The Trojans tied a season-high 21 runs (last time at Avila, Mo., on Feb. 10) in 21-6 game one victory and held on to a 13-9 victory in the series finale over the Blue Hawks.

Dakota State raised their overall record to 28-9 and 11-1 conference record.  The Trojans moved into a tie for first place in the North Star conference standings with No. 13 ranked Bellevue (Neb.).  Dickinson State fell to 6-29 overall record and 3-12 NSAA conference record.

DSU scored in double digits in all four games in the series with DiSU, outscoring the Blue Hawks 62-22.  The Trojans won for the eighth time in the last nine meetings with Dickinson State.

Dakota State continues their North Star Athletic Association action next weekend, visiting Valley City State (N.D.) in a four-game series at Charlie Brown Stadium.  The series begins on Friday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m., followed by another doubleheader next Saturday at 12 p.m. 

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 21, Dickinson State (N.D.) 6 – FINAL

Cameron Erickson blasted a solo home run with one out in the top first inning to give Dickinson State a 1-0 early lead.

Dakota State answered with two runs in the bottom half of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead, thanks to a 2-run home run blast by Walker Hultgren (scored Cory Brownson who recorded a walk with one out).  Hultgren broke the all-time record for runs scored, breaking the previous record held by Josh Cuffe with 130 career runs scored from 2002-05.

Hultgren hit his ninth home run this season and his 24^th career home run at Dakota State.

The Trojans plated three runs in the bottom second frame, highlighted by a pair of RBI doubles from Dawson Portner and Brownson.  Dakota State led 5-1 after two innings.

DiSU scored a run in the top third inning to trim DSU's lead.  Wyatt Wilharm led off with a single and advanced to second after the Trojans' wild pitch.  Carlos Molina, Jr. followed up with a single to advance Wilharm to third base.  Mathias Dufner produced an RBI ground out to score Wilharm as the Blue Hawks trailed 5-2.

Dakota State poured in five runs in the bottom third, sparked by Hultgren's lead-off double.  Cassidy Watt hit an RBI single to score Hultgren for DSU 6-2 lead.  After Watt advanced to second by DiSU's wild pitch, Cameron DeMaria hit an RBI single to score Watt to extend the Trojans' lead to 7-2.

Aidan Perry added a single to advance DeMaria to second base in the bottom third.  On the same play, both DeMaria and Perry advanced one base after a defensive error committed by the Blue Hawks.  Jeremy Green hit an RBI single with two outs to score Ned Ceklic, pinch runner for DeMaria, for 8-2 lead (Perry advanced to third).

Green swiped to second base in the bottom third, while Perry scored home on the same play after DiSU's error (DSU led 9-2).  The Trojans wrapped up the third inning with an RBI single by Ryan McDaniel to score Green for a 10-2 lead.

Dakota State exploded for six runs in the bottom fourth frame, capped by a bases clearing 3-RBI double by McDaniel with two outs.  DSU led 16-2 after four innings.

The Trojans ballooned their lead to 19-2 in the bottom fifth as Bubba Thompson smashed a 3-run home run, scoring Ceklic and Perry who hit back-to-back singles with one out.  It was Thompson's first home run this season for DSU.

Nathaniel Jilek hit a solo home run with two outs in the top sixth inning as the Blue Hawks trailed 19-3.  Dickinson State reduced their deficit to 19-4 as Erickson drilled an RBI double to score Alberto Nieto who recorded a walk.

Molina, Jr. added an RBI double as the Blue Hawks trailed 19-5 in the top sixth.

Watt and Ceklic hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the bottom sixth inning to expand Dakota State's lead to 21-5.

Dickinson State added a run in the top seventh inning (DSU led 21-6).  The Blue Hawks left a runner on base when the game ended, securing the victory for Dakota State.

The Trojans tallied 19 hits (9 extra bases hits – 7 doubles, 2 home runs) compared to the Blue Hawks eight hits.

All Dakota State starting hitters registered at least a hit in the game.  Portner and Watt each had three hits and two RBIs.  McDaniel added a double, single, and drove in four runs.  Hultgren had a home run, double, and two RBIs.  Green and Brownson each had a hit and two RBIs.  DeMaria, Ceklic, Perry each had two hits and an RBI.  Thompson had a home run and three RBIs. 

Erickson led the Blue Hawks with a home run, double, and two RBIs.  Molina, Jr. added a double, single, and an RBI.  Jace Buchanan had two hits.  Jilek had a home run and an RBI.

Will Clair (W, 7-1) collected the victory on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He tossed five innings and allowed two runs on four hits.  He registered nine strikeouts.  Alexander Ferrin worked the sixth inning in relief, while Treyten Kolar pitched the seventh inning.

Jacob Scully (L, 1-2) recorded the defeat after working for four innings for Dickinson State.  He gave up 16 runs (six unearned) on 13 hits.  Jackson Schaubel pitched the final two innings in relief, allowing five runs on six hits.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 13, Dickinson State (N.D.) 9 – FINAL

Nieto led off the game with a walk for Dickinson State.  Molina, Jr. hit a single with two outs to advance Nieto to third base.  Mathias Dufner hit an RBI single to score Nieto to give DiSU a 1-0 lead.

Green blasted a lead-off solo home run in the bottom first as the Trojans knotted the game at 1-1.  McDaniel hit a single with one out, followed by Hultgren's double to advance McDaniel to second base.  Watt produced an RBI fielder's choice to score McDaniel as DSU extended their lead to 2-1.

Green hit his second solo home run of the game in the bottom second, ballooning Dakota State's lead to 3-1.  It was his fifth home run this season and his 10^th career home run at DSU.

Dakota State continued its scoring surge in the bottom third frame with another home run.  Watt hit a single with one out, while Ceklic added a walk to advance catcher's courtesy runner Seth Altwine to second base.  Perry blasted a 3-run home run with two outs to score Altwine and Ceklic for 6-1 lead in favor of the Trojans.

Wilharm hit an RBI single in the top fourth with two outs as the Blue Hawks trailed 6-2.  The Trojans answered with a run in the bottom fourth as Watt hit an RBI ground out with bases loaded (DSU led 7-2).

Buchanan hit a 2-run home run in the top fifth inning as DiSU trimmed DSU's lead to 7-4.

Thompson and Perry each hit back-to-back to kick off the bottom fifth inning for Dakota State 9-4 lead.  It was Thompson's second home run of the day.

Portner followed up with a single and swiped to second base for Dakota State in the bottom fifth.  He swiped to third base and advanced home caused by DiSU's defensive error for 10-4 lead.

DSU made it 11-4 as McDaniel blasted a solo home run with two outs in the bottom fifth.  It was his fifth home run of the season and his 17^th career home run at Dakota State.

Dickinson State plated four runs in the top sixth inning, capped by a 3-run home run by Dufner.  The Blue Hwaks cut the Trojans' lead to 11-8.

Dakota State added two runs in the bottom sixth to make it 13-8 after Perry's RBI sacrifice fly.

A new single school record was set in the bottom eighth frame for the Trojans.  After Green hit a single, he swiped to second base to set a single season record for stolen bases with 26.  He broke the previous single season record held by Brooks Marquardt with 25 stolen bases in 2003.

Dickinson State scored a run in the top ninth inning after Nieto's RBI single.  The Trojans secured the victory as the Blue Hawks left two runners on base when the game ended.

Dakota State outhit Dickinson State 15-11 in the game.  The Blue Hawks committed five defensive errors, while the Trojans did not commit a defensive error.

Nine of the 15 hits are extra bases hits for the Trojans.  Dakota State smashed six home runs and drilled three doubles in the game.

Green went 4-of-5 at the plate with two home runs, two singles, two RBIs, three runs scored, and two stolen bases for Dakota State.  Perry added two home runs and drove in a game-high five RBIs.  Watt had a double, two singles, and collected two RBIs.  McDaniel recorded a home run, single, and an RBI.  Thompson had a home run and an RBI.  Hultgren and Brownson each had a double and a walk.  Portner tallied a single.

Dufner led the Blue Hawks with a home run, single, and collected four RBIs.  Wilharm and Molina, Jr., each had two hits, an RBI, and a walk.  Nieto tallied two hits, three runs, and an RBI.  Buchanan registered a home run and two RBIs.

The Trojans' pitching staff combined for 21 strikeouts in the game.

Nicholai Arbach started the game on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  He pitched four-plus innings and allowed three runs on five hits and registered eight strikeouts.  Alex Swack (W, 2-0) earned the victory after tossing 1 1/3 innings in relief.  He recorded three strikeouts.

JD Kirchner (S, 4) earned his fourth save of the season after pitching 3 2/3 innings in relief.  He yielded the Blue Hawks to one run on one hit.  He also struck out DiSU's batter a season-high 10 times. 

Kirchner tied the all-time school record in saves with 12 saves (Jeremy Daul with 12 saves from 2003-04).

Tate Williams (L, 0-3) took the defeat after pitching three innings for Dickinson State.  He allowed six runs on six hits and registered five strikeouts.  Patrick Dietz, Logan Smith, Trevor Ball, and Trent Chavez each worked in relief.