March 18, 2025

FOREST CITY, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) snapped their eight-game losing skid in the first game of the doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Forest City High School Softball Field, earning their first shutout victory of the season 11-0.  The Trojans' comeback fell short in the second game, falling short by the score of 14-10 to the Warriors.

Dakota State is 4-17 overall record.  Waldorf, who used to be in the North Star Athletic Association before joining the Great Plains Athletic Conference, is 2-14 overall record.

The Trojans play their first home games of the season next Tuesday (March 25), hosting Waldorf (Iowa) in another doubleheader.  The doubleheader kicks off at 3 p.m. at Thue Field in downtown Madison, kicking off their season-high 10-game home stand.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 11, Waldorf (Iowa) 0 – FINAL/5 innings

The Trojans scored four runs in the top second inning to open a four-run lead.  Quincy Hartley led off with a single and advanced to second after Hannah Feser's single with one out.  Ally Morrissey hit an RBI single to score Hartley to give DSU a 1-0 lead.

Hannah McFarland recorded a walk to set up a bases loaded situation in the top second inning (Feser on third base).  Feser scored on WU's wild pitch to make it 2-0 in favor of the Trojans (Morrissey advanced to third and McFarland advanced to second).

Jordyn Jeffries recorded an RBI single to score Morrissey to make it 3-0 DSU in the top third (McFarland advanced to third).  Waldorf recorded another wild pitch to score McFarland as the Trojans' lead grew to 4-0.

Jeffries added an RBI single in the top fourth frame to extend their lead to 5-0.  With bases loaded situation after Gabrielle Ortega-Alves' single, Michelle Evdos blasted a grand slam to make it 9-0 DSU.

The Trojans scored two more runs in the top fifth, capped by Hartley's RBI walk to make it 11-0.

Waldorf left the bases full in the bottom fifth inning as Dakota State's defense halted from scoring, securing the mercy rule victory in five innings.

DSU tallied 14 hits in the game compared to WU nine hits.

Six Trojans recorded two hits in the game – McFarland, Jeffries, Evdos, Mason Usselman, Hartkly, and Morrissey.  Evdos drove in four runs, while Jeffries added two RBIs.  Ortega-Alves and Feser each added a hit.

Timber Oakes and Noemi Tudon each had two hits for the Warriors.  Haley Ehlert, Jenna Busch, Alyssa Maldonado, Kierra Lynn Schulz, and Paige Pierson each had a hit.

Maycee Bricker (W, 3-3) tossed a complete game victory for Dakota State.  She allowed no runs on nine hits and recorded five strikeouts.

Jaycee Plath (L, 0-4) recorded the loss in the pitching circle for Waldorf.  She allowed nine runs (three unearned) on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.  Mackenzie Zimmerman worked for two innings and allowed two runs on four hits.

Game 2 – Waldorf (Iowa) 14, Dakota State (S.D.) 10 – FINAL

After a pair of singles and stolen base each by McFarland and Ortega-Alves to start the second game of the doubleheader, Evdos recorded a walk and allowed McFarland to score on WU's passed ball for DSU 1-0 lead (Ortega-Alves advanced to third).

Usselman recorded an RBI ground out to score Ortega-Alves to extend the Trojans' lead to 2-0 in the top second.

Waldorf exploded for 12 runs in the bottom half of the first inning, highlighted by Oakes' 3-run home run.  The Warriors led 12-2 after the first inning.

With bases loaded situation in the bottom second, Haley Ehlert and Jenna Busch hit back-to-back RBI singles to balloon their lead to 14-2.

Julia Maldonado collected an RBI in the top fourth inning to snap DSU's scoring drought, scoring Hartley who led off with a double and advanced to third after WU's passed ball (WU led 14-3).

Dakota State stormed back in the top seventh inning with seven runs scored.  With bases full, Evdos hit an RBI single to score McFarland as the Trojans trailed 14-4.

Hartley followed up with a bases-clearing 3-RBI double to score Jeffries, Ortega-Alves, and Evos as DSU trimmed WU's lead to 14-7.

Maldonado added an RBI, Morrissey earned an RBI and Ortega-Alves recorded an RBI walk as the Trojans trailed 14-10 in the top fifth inning.

Both teams were unable to score in the final two innings, securing the victory for the Warriors.

Waldorf outhit Dakota State 14-10 in the game.

Hartley was 2-of-4 at the plate with two doubles and three RBIs for Dakota State.  McFarland added two hits.  Evdos and Maldonado each had a hit and two RBIs.  Ortega-Alves and Morrissey each had a hit and an RBI. 

Dakota State swiped six bases, led by McFarland with three stolen bases.  Ortega-Alves, Evdos, and Morrissey each had a stolen base.

Oakes led Waldorf with 3-of-4 the plate with three RBIs and three runs scored.  Busch added two hits and three RBIs.  Ehlert and Gabby Bierly each had two hits and two RBIs.

Usselman (L, 1-8) took the setback in the pitching circle for Dakota State.  Analicia Burgos, Makenna McGee, and Bricker also pitched in relief.

Reagan Ridout (W, 1-5) earned the victory for Waldorf.  She worked for 6 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs on eight hits.  Zimmerman worked for one out in relief.