Blue Hawks drop a pair of close games at #9 Bellevue on Saturday

Sagan Osborne | Dickinson State Sports Information Director

BELLEVUE, Neb. – Early leads couldn't quite hold up for Dickinson State as #9 Bellevue used a pair of come-from-behind efforts to beat the Blue Hawks twice on Saturday.

GAME 1

DSU got on the board first thanks to a first inning home run by Cade Ostenson to right center field just two batters into the game. After Dawson Cortese followed up Ostenson with a single, the Blue Hawks hit into some bad luck, as both Derrick Calvillo and Balas Buckmaster hit line drives right at the center fielder to end the inning with no further damage.

The Bruins tied the game in the bottom of the third inning with three walks, including one with the bases loaded, and a single to knot the score at 1-1. DSU starter Kobe Krenz was able to wiggle of the jam with the lead when he won a long at bat by getting a deep fly to center field.

The game stayed tied into the sixth inning when the Blue Hawks finally broke through again. Keanu Calamayan singled, and Ostenson walked, to start the inning, but Dawson Cortese grounded into a fielder's choice giving DSU runners at the corners with one out. After Calvillo struck, Buckmaster came through with an infield single to give DSU the one-run lead.

Unfortunately for the Blue Hawks, the nationally ranked Bruins responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, and three more in the eighth, to steal the win. Krenz ended up going 5.1 innings allowing 4 runs on just two hits while striking out 6 but walking 7. Tate Williams got the final two outs in relief for DSU without allowing a baserunner.

GAME 2

In game two, Bellevue jumped out to the quick lead, scoring one in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly. In the top of the second inning, Dickinson State responded. Wyatt Wilharm singled, and Cade Ostenson walked with one out, to put two runners on for Kael Richards. Richards responded with a hard double down the left field line, scoring Wilharm, and Keanu Calamayan followed with an RBI-single to score Ostenson to put the Blue Hawks out in front, 2-1.

The score held until the bottom of the fourth inning, when a pair of solo home runs by the Bruins gave BU the lead again at 3-2. Another home run, this time a two-run shot, in the bottom of the fifth inning extended the Bruins lead to 5-2 heading into the sixth inning. An Ostenson sacrifice fly got the Blue Hawks back to within two, 5-3, in the top of the sixth inning, but BU was able to push across another run in the bottom half of the inning, and held DSU scoreless in the seventh to seal the win.