Lerma gem, and offensive avalanche, help Blue Hawks bury Dakota Wesleyan

Sagan Osborne | Dickinson State Sports Information Director

TUCSON, Ariz. – Dickinson State set program records for runs in a game and margin of victory and Jonathan Lerma twirled a gem as the Blue Hawks blew out Dakota Wesleyan, 28-0.

The weather was hot, but the Blue Hawk bats were hotter, as Dickinson State pounded 21 hits, four home runs (including two grand slams), and 28 runs to kick off 11 games in Tucson, Arizona. After a quick 1-2-3 inning by Lerma in the top of the first inning, Dawson Cortese got the scoring going for DSU, driving in Keanu Calamayan who doubled a batter earlier.

Another clean inning from Lerma in the second set the stage for the first round of Blue Hawk fireworks in the second. Richie Cortese and Balas Buckmaster walked, and Kael Richards reached on a bunt single, before Cade Ostenson crushed the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for the first DSU grand slam of the day. The home run was Ostenson's second on the year. Alberto Nieto followed Ostenson with a single to left and Jacob Clinton walked before a double steal put them at second and third. Dawson Cortese followed with his second RBI single of the day scoring both runners and making it 7-0 DSU. Two batters later, Richie Cortese hit a no doubt two-run shot to left center field making it an eight-run inning and 9-0 DSU.

The runs kept coming in the third inning as a Nieto lead off single was followed by a Clinton home run to deep right center field. After three straight singles loaded the bases, freshman Wyatt Wilharm drove a pinch-hit single to center field, scoring two more runs. Bases loaded walks by Mathias Dufner and Calamayan pushed across two more runs before Dawson Cortese blasted the second DSU grand slam of the day deep over the left center field fence to put the Blue Hawks up 20-0.

After a pair of scoreless innings, the Blue Hawks got back on track in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Richie Cortese doubled home Kaiden Reeve, who reached on a hit by pitch, and Matthew Krieger drove home John Hudson with an infield hit, before the first Blue Hawk out. Ostenson drove in his fifth run of the game with an RBI single to score Cortese before Clinton ended a long at bat with an RBI single to center. Calamayan worked his second bases loaded walk of the day to make it 26-0 DSU before back-to-back RBI singles by Reeve and Hudson scored the final runs.

Lerma earned the win after going 6.0 innings and allowing 0 runs on 3 hits with no walks and 7 strikeouts before Tate Williams collected the final three outs in a perfect inning of relief.

WHATS NEXT

The Blue Hawks will face another GPAC foe when they take on Morningside College in a morning double header starting at 9:00 am on Friday.