BASEBALL: Comets stun Trojans in opening round
NSAA
DICKINSON, N.D. – No. 7 seed Mayville State opened the NSAA Baseball Tournament with a major upset on Friday, knocking off No. 2 seed Dakota State in the opening round.
The Comets scored two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings as they opened up a 4-1 lead and then held on for a 4-3 victory over the Trojans.
Mayville State (13-37) moves into the winner’s bracket and will play the winner of Valley City State/Dickinson State on Saturday at 12 p.m. MT.
Dakota State (35-15) drops into a loser-out game and will face the loser of Valley City State/Dickinson State on Saturday at 9 a.m. MT.
Dakota State opened the scoring on Friday with a single run in the third inning. Bubba Thompson drew a leadoff walk and eventually came around to score on Ryan McDaniel’s two-out RBI single to left field.
Mavyille State broke through in the sixth inning, taking a 2-1 lead on a two-out single by Michael Feralio that scored both Carson Lundmark and Chris Shopbell.
The Comets tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning, taking advantage of two Dakota State errors. With runners on second and third, a two-out error by Dakota State’s Aidan Perry allowed both Marcus Hughes and Anthony Villanueva to score as the Comets took a 4-1 lead.
Dakota State trimmed the deficit to 4-3 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. An RBI single by Jeremy Green made it 4-2 and then Bubba Thompson later scored on a throwing error to make it 4-3.
The Trojans could get no closer though and Mayville State relief pitcher Gunner Thompson shut the door over the final 2.2 innings. Thompson gave up just one hit and set the last five batters down in order to earn the save.
Austin McClure earned the win for Mayville State, throwing 6.1 innings and scattering seven hits and three runs. Dakota State starter Hunter Vikemyr took the loss, giving up six hits and four runs – only two of which were earned. He walked one and struck out four.
Mayville State finished with six hits, including two each by Marcus Hughes and Michael Feralio, who also drove in two runs.
Ryan McDaniel went 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead Dakota State, which totaled eight hits.