April 25, 2025

MAYVILLE, N.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.) split the North Star Athletic Association baseball doubleheader Friday afternoon at Scott Berry Field.  The Comets won the battle of pitcher's duel in the first game 3-1, while the Trojans outscored MSU 13-2 in the final five innings to earn a 13-5 victory after trailing 3-0.

Dakota State is 22-22 overall record and 8-10 record in the league.  Mayville State is 14-28 overall record and 6-12 NSAA conference record.

Both teams close out their regular season schedule with another North Star doubleheader Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m.

Game 1 – Mayville State (N.D.) 3, Dakota State (S.D.) 1 – FINAL

The Comets scored the first run of the game in the bottom first inning.  Chris Shopbell led off with a single.  Carson Lundmark reached safely on base after DSU's defensive error and advanced Shopbell to second base (both Shopbell and Lundmark advanced one base on the same play).

Kevin Conway hit a fielder's choice as Shopbell was tagged out at home in the bottom first.  Lundmark advanced to third base on the same play and scored home caused by Trojans' defensive error, giving MSU a 1-0 lead.

Cassidy Watt smashed a lead off home run in the top second inning as Dakota State tied the game 1-1.

Mayville State snapped their scoring drought in the bottom sixth.  Jalen Denton hit a 2-run home run with two outs, scoring Jack McQueen who hit a single.  The Comets led 3-1 after six innings.

The Trojans were unable to score in the final inning, securing the victory for the Comets.

MSU registered eight hits in the game compared to DSU five hits.

Watt led Dakota State with a home run and an RBI.  Hunter Vikemyr, Camaron Haller, Connor Raney, and Darcy Barry each added a single.  Barry swiped one base.

Denton was 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, single, and drove in two runs for Mayville State.  Shopbell and McQueen each added two singles.  Conway and Riley Rankin each had a hit.

Nicholai Arbach (L, 6-4) recorded the setback, despite tossing his sixth straight complete game for DSU.  He gave up three runs (one unearned) on eight hits.  He recorded eight strikeouts, recording at least eight strikeouts in all five North Star conference pitched.

Garrett Lundmark (W, 5-4) earned a complete game victory for MSU.  He gave up one run on five hits and registered five strikeouts.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 13, Mayville State (N.D.) 5 – FINAL

Dakota State erased their 3-0 deficit after four innings, erupting for 13 runs in the final five innings in the nine-inning contest.  The Trojans poured in seven runs in the top seventh and four runs in the top ninth to earn the victory.

C. Lundmark smashed a solo home run with one out in the bottom third inning to give Mayville State a 1-0 lead.

Rankin added a 2-run home run, scoring Denton who hit a single with two outs.  The Comets ballooned their lead to 3-0 after four innings.

DSU snapped their scoring drought in the top fifth inning with a run scored.  Haller hit a single with one out and advanced to second base after MSU's defensive error.  Dawson Porter followed up with an RBI single to score Haller, trailing 3-1.

Barry smashed a lead-off home run in the top sixth inning as the Trojans trimmed the Comets' lead to 3-2.

Dakota State exploded for seven runs on seven hits in the top seventh inning to overtake the lead.  Portner led off with a single.  Ben Loos, pinch hitter for Raney, drilled a double to advance Portner to third base.  Barry hit his second home run of the game, blasting a 3-run home run to overtake a 5-3 lead.

After MSU's pitching change, pinch hitter Dylan Gillespie (for Altwine) recorded a walk in the top seventh.  Aidan Perry followed up with a single and Altwine, who re-entered the game as pinch runner, advanced to third base.

Vikemyr collected a fielder's choice RBI to score Altwine to make it 6-3 in favor of the Trojans in the top seventh (Perry was out at second base).  Watt followed up with a single to advance Vikemyr to second base.  Haller drilled a 2-RBI double to score Vikemyr and Daniel Lesher, catcher's courtesy runner for Watt, as Dakota State's lead grew to 8-3.

Portner capped the seven-run seventh inning with an RBI single to score Haller for 9-3 DSU lead.

The Comets answered with a 2-run home run with two outs by Cameron Goff, scoring Shopbell who was hit-by-pitch in the bottom seventh (DSU led 9-5).

Perry hit a lead-off single in the top ninth, followed by Vikemyr's single, and Watt's hit-by-pitch to set up a bases loaded situation for Dakota State.  Haller smashed a grand slam as DSU's lead grew to 13-5.

The Trojans ended the game in the bottom ninth inning with a double play, securing the victory.

DSU tallied 14 hits in the game compared to MSU 11 hits. 

Haller was 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run, double, single, and drove in a game-high six runs for Dakota State.  Barry added two home runs and drove in four runs.  Perry collected two singles.  Vikemyr had a single and an RBI.  George Hogan and Loos each had a double.  Watt recorded a hit.

C. Lundmark had a home run, single and an RBI for Mayville State.  Rankin added a home run, single, and two RBIs.  McQueen and Denton each had two hits. 

Sam Tyrpa (W, 4-6) earned victory on the pitching mound for DSU.  He tossed seven innings and allowed five runs on eight hits.  He recorded five strikeouts.  Treyten Kolar pitched two scoreless innings in relief, yielding the Comets to three hits.

Marshall Judisch started the game for MSU, pitching five innings.  He gave up an unearned run on two hits.  Jaxon Parker (L, 1-7) recorded the loss after working 1 1/3 innings in relief, giving up four runs on four hits.  Jake Hutter and Isaac Matta also pitched in relief, with each pitcher allowing four runs on four hits.