Baseball Trojans finished with perfect 5-0 record at Flynn Field, racked up 73 strikeouts during the home stand

DSU baseball finishes home stand undefeated, sweeps Vikings

April 24, 2023

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) completed their home scheduled with an undefeated 5-0 record after recording another North Star Athletic Association four-game series sweep of Valley City State (N.D.) Monday afternoon at Flynn Field.  Despite trailing 8-3 in the first game, the Trojans outscored the Vikings 16-1 for the rest of the game to earn a 19-9 seven-inning victory.  DSU closed out the home schedule with a 13-0 shutout over the Vikings to complete a four-game series sweep.

Dakota State matched its last year's wins total at 33, lifting their overall record to 33-13 with their 26th win in the last 27 games after starting the season at 7-12 record.  The Trojans raised their North Star Athletic Association record to 23-1, holding a one-game lead over No. 5 Bellevue (Neb.) before heading to the final NSAA's four-game series Friday and Saturday in Bellevue, Neb.  Valley City State dropped their overall record to 11-29 and 7-17 record in the league.

It was the first four-game conference series sweep for Dakota State over Valley City State since April 2-3, 2010 (in the former Dakota Athletic Conference), at Flynn Field.  The Trojans racked up a total of 61 strikeouts during the four-game series with the Vikings, accumulating a total of 73 strikeouts in DSU's five-game home stand at Flynn Field.

Dakota State wraps up their regular-season schedule Friday and Saturday, battling for the North Star conference title with nationally ranked Bellevue.  The four-game series kicks off at 12 p.m. each day, Friday and Saturday at John Stella Field at Brown Park.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 19, Valley City State (N.D.) 9 – FINAL/7 innings

  • A total of 17 runs combined by both Dakota State and Valley City State were scored in the first three innings of a nine-inning contest.
  • Dakota State had scored at least a run in every inning to secure the victory.
  • Adam Thompson led off the game with a walk, followed by Jaden Babiuk's single advance Thompson to second base.  Thompson and courtesy runner Jett Salonek swiped one base to third and second bases.
  • Judson Seliskar was hit-by-pitch to set up a bases loaded situation with one out for the Vikings in the top first.  After a strikeout for the second out, Jay Greuel produced a 2-RBI single to score Thompson and Salonek to give VCSU a 2-0 lead.
  • Walker Hultgren smashed a solo home run to left center with one out in the bottom half of the first inning as DSU trailed 2-1.
  • The Vikings ballooned their lead to 5-1 in the top second frame as Drew Nixon blasted a 3-run home run to right field.
  • Dakota State answered with two runs in the bottom second.  Cade Wenninger reached safely on base after VCSU's defensive error.  Dawson Portner followed up with a double to advance Wenninger to third base.
  • Hakeem Yatim produced an RBI sacrifice fly to score Wenninger as the Trojans cut the Vikings' lead to 5-2 in the bottom second. After Ryan McDaniel's fly out to advance Portner to third base, the Trojans trailed 5-3 as Portner scored on VCSU's wild pitch.
  • Valley City State made it 6-3 in the top third after a defensive error committed by the Trojans.  The Vikings ballooned their lead to 8-3 as Cam Pero hit a 2-run home run down the left field line.
  • Dakota State erupted for six runs in the bottom third inning to overtake the lead.  Mason Macaluso was hit-by-pitch.  Jace Pribyl followed up with a double to advance Macaluso to third base.
  • Chris Burke hit a 2-RBI single to score Macaluso and Pribyl as the Trojans trailed 8-5 in the bottom third (Burke advanced to second base on the same play after VCSU's error).
  • DSU continued its scoring surge in the bottom third as Wenninger hit an RBI single to score Burke (VCSU led 8-6).  Portner followed up with a single to advance Wenninger to second base.  Both Wenninger and Portner advanced one base on the same play after another defensive error by the Vikings.
  • A wild pitch committed by VCSU allowed Wenninger to score as DSU trailed 8-7 in the bottom third (Portner advanced to third).  After Yatim's walk, Portner scored home after a wild pitch by the Vikings to knot the game at 8-8 (Yatim advanced to second base on the same play).
  • Yatim scored after a defensive error on the Vikings as DSU grabbed a 9-8 lead in the bottom third.  The Vikings ended the inning on the same play as Hultgren was tagged out at second.
  • Dakota State extended the lead to 11-8 as Yatim drilled a 2-RBI double with two outs in the bottom fourth frame.
  • With runners on first and second bases in the top fifth inning, Babiuk hit an RBI single to score Pero as the Vikings trimmed DSU's lead to 11-9.
  • Hultgren blasted his second solo home run of the game to right field as the Trojans' lead grew to 12-9 in the bottom fifth. 
  • Jeremy Green followed up with a walk for DSU in the bottom fifth.  He swiped to second base and advanced to third base on VCSU's wild pitch.  Dakota State made it 13-9 as Macaluso produced an RBI single to score Green.
  • Yatim hit a 2-run home run in the bottom sixth frame to balloon DSU's lead to 15-9. 
  • Hultgren reached safely on first base after VCSU's defensive error in the bottom sixth with one out.  Green recorded a hit-by-pitch to advance Hultgren to second base. 
  • Dakota State scored on three straight plays to widen their lead to 19-9 with Macaluso's RBI double to score Hultgren, Pribyl's sacrifice fly to score Green, and Burke's 2-run home run to score Macaluso.
  • Valley City State couldn't extend the game into the bottom seventh inning after recording three straight outs, securing the 10-run mercy rule victory for Dakota State.
  • DSU outhit VCSU 12-9 in the game.  The Vikings committed five defensive errors compared to the Trojans two defensive miscues.  Valley City State left five runners on base compared to Dakota State five runners left on base.
  • Yatim went 2-of-2 at the plate with a home run, single, walk, and drove in a game-high five runs for DSU.  Burke added a home run, single, and collected four RBIs.  Hultgren hit two home runs and tallied two RBIs.
  • Macaluso and Portner each had a double and single for Dakota State.  Macaluso collected two RBIs.  Pribyl and Wenninger each registered a hit and an RBI.
  • Nixon had a home run and three RBIs for Valley City State.  Pero added a home run and drove in two runs.  Babiuk hit three singles and an RBI.  Thompson had two singles and scored twice.  Gruel recorded a single and two RBIs. 
  • Nicholai Arbach started the game on the pitching mound for the Trojans.  He tossed two innings and allowed five runs on four hits.  He registered five strikeouts.  JD Kirchner (W, 5-2) earned the victory after pitching five innings in relief.  He gave up four runs (three unearned) on five hits and struck out nine Vikings' batters.
  • Harrison Metz started the game for the Vikings.  He worked for two-plus innings and gave up eight runs (four unearned) on six hits.  Riley Resnick (L, 1-6) took the loss after working the third inning, giving up three runs (one unearned) and issued three walks.  Landon Piehl and Ashton Eldredge also pitched in relief.

Game 2 – Dakota State (S.D.) 13, Valley City State (N.D.) 0 – FINAL

  • Valley City State tallied two hits in the top first inning of the seven-inning game and was unable to convert their scoring chances after back-to-back singles by Babiuk and Nixon.
  • Hultgren reached safely on base after an error by the Vikings in the bottom half of the first inning.  Macaluso blasted a 2-run home run with two outs to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead.
  • Dakota State poured in six runs in the bottom second inning, ignited by back-to-back RBI singles by Yatim and McDaniel for a 4-0 lead.  Green capped the scoring explosion with a grand slam to balloon the Trojans' lead to 8-0.
  • Dakota State made it 9-0 in the bottom fifth after an RBI single by McDaniel.
  • The Trojans blasted a pair of 2-run home runs in the bottom sixth frame from Macaluso and Nelson for 13-0 lead.
  • The Vikings were unable to score in the final inning as the Trojans secured the victory.
  • DSU tallied 11 hits in the game compared to VCSU five hits.  The Vikings left six runners on base compared to the Trojans five runners left on base.
  • Macaluso hit two home runs and drove in four runs for Dakota State.  Green added a home run and collected four RBIs.  McDaniel had two singles and two RBIs.  Nelson recorded a double, single, and two RBIs.  Yatim had a hit and an RBI.  Bo Wilson and Pribyl each added a hit.
  • Tory Nelson hit a double for Valley City State.  Nixon added two singles.  Babiuk and Ryan Reynolds each had a hit.
  • Luke Guest (W, 6-3) earned the victory on the pitching mound for DSU.  He worked for five innings and yielded the Vikings to four hits.  He struck out VCSU's batters nine times.  Will Clair tossed a scoreless sixth inning and recorded a strikeout.  Aiden Urbom pitched a shutout seventh inning with two strikeouts.
  • Andrew Gartrell (L, 0-1) took the setback after pitching 2 1/3 innings for VCSU.  He gave up eight runs (two unearned) on six hits.  Devon Cook, Thompson, and Mertz also worked in relief.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director