Blue Hawk bats come alive in game two to force split

VALLEY CITY, ND - The Dickinson State baseball team (2-3, 0-0 NSAA) used an offensive explosion in game two to earn a split on the road at Valley City State University (2-2, 0-0 NSAA). After dropping game one, 6-3, Dickinson State pounded out 12 hits, including two homeruns, to power past VCSU 14-4 in game two.

GAME 1 - Valley City State 6 Dickinson State 3

Valley City State jumped out to a 4-run first inning and held on to win 6-3 in game one. Dickinson State was held without a baserunner until the 4th inning when Dawson Cortese doubled to the left field corner to break up the perfect game. Derrick Calvillo followed with an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 4-1. The 2-out rally continued as Richie Cortese added an RBI double and Robert Encinas followed with an RBI single to make it 4-3 VCSU. Cade Ostenson followed by driving a ball to right field, but it was caught at the wall ending the DSU rally.

After that, the Valley City pitching staff tightened back up as the Blue Hawks could scratch another hit the rest of the way and Valley City tacked on two runs in the 6th inning for the final score. Overall, the Vikings outhit the Blue Hawks 10-4. Starting pitcher Brannan Hogan went 1 inning and allowed four runs on four hits to take the loss. Trent Richter went 3.2 innings in relief allowing two runs on six hits. Cade Kazmirski finished the game with 1.1 perfect innings for Dickinson State.

GAME 2 - Dickinson State 14 Valley City State 4

Dickinson State took a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a Dawson Cortese two-run blast to center field, and the offense rolled from there, taking down VCSU 14-4 in the second game of the double-header. After Valley City State answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the 1st inning, Wyatt Wilharm picked up his first hit in a Blue Hawks uniform, doubling to left center field to start the top of the 2nd. Kaiden Reeve followed with a bloop single to right field giving the Blue Hawks runners at the corners with no one out. Alberto Nieto followed with what looked to be a routine double play ball, but an error on the VCSU second baseman allowed all runners to be safe and the Blue Hawks to take a 3-2 lead. After a strikeout, Keanu Calamayan doubled to left field scoring two more runs. Two batters later Derrick Calvillo ripped a single past the VCSU third baseman to score Calamayan and put DSU up 6-2.

Dickinson State added another run in the top of the 3rd inning on a bases loaded walk by Calamayan to stretch their lead to 7-2. After VCSU scratched across a run in the bottom of the 4th inning, Nieto gave DSU some insurance runs when he belted his first home run of the season to left field to make it 9-3 Blue Hawks. In the top of the 7th inning, Dickinson State took advantage of some shaky defense from the hosts and added on five more runs to make it 14-4 heading into the bottom of the final frame.

Richie Cortese earned the win after going 3 perfect innings in relief, striking out eight of the nine batters he faced to finish the game. DSU starter Jonathan Lerma went 1.1 innings in his first action of the fall, allowing two runs on three hits. Kobe Krenz gave the Blue Hawks 2.2 solid innings on the mound going 2.2 innings and allowing two runs on two hits.

Kaiden Reeve led the Blue Hawk offense with a 3-3 day, while Dawson Cortese and Derrick Calvillo also had multi-hit games. Calvillo reached base in all five of his plate appearances, gathering two singles, a walk, and two hit-by-pitches. Dickinson State pounded out six extra-base hits with Richie Cortese, Dawson Cortese, Kaiden Reeve, and Wyatt Wilharm all doubling to go with the Cortese and Nieto homeruns.

WHATS NEXT

The Blue Hawks will travel to Jamestown, ND to take on the University of Jamestown Jimmies in a single 9-inning contest on Wednesday, September 28, at 4:00 PM MT.