Cortese's bomb proves to be the difference as Blue Hawks rally past Mayville State

Mark Potts | Valley City State Director for Sports Information

DICKINSON, N.D. – Dickinson State scored six runs in the top of the ninth inning and then held off a Mayville State rally as the Blue Hawks advanced at the NSAA Baseball Tournament with an 8-7 win Friday afternoon.
 
The teams were locked in a low-scoring game until combining for 10 runs in an exciting ninth inning.
 
Trailing 3-2 entering the top of the ninth, the Blue Hawks put together a six-run inning. Richie Cortese's RBI double scored Cade Ostenson to tie the game at 3-3, and then Alex Stephens roped a 2-run single to center field, scoring both Jacob Clinton and Cortese for the go-ahead runs and a 5-3 lead. Four batters later, Dawson Cortese capped the big ninth inning with a three-run home run to put the Blue Hawks ahead 8-3.
 
The Comets quickly loaded the bases and pushed across two runs in the bottom of the ninth as the first five batters reached with four walks and one hit batter. Kole Jessamine followed with an RBI single to cut the Blue Hawk lead to 8-6 with no outs. Dickinson reliever Koronka put a stop to it though, entering the game and recording a sacrifice fly, infield pop-up and fly ball to set down the final three batters in order and save an 8-7 Dickinson State victory.
 
No. 4 seed Mayville State (20-23) drops into loser-out action and plays No. 8 seed Presentation College at 9 a.m. MDT on Saturday. No. 5 seed Dickinson State (21-26) continues in the winner's bracket on Saturday and faces top seed Bellevue University at 4 p.m.
 
Both teams scored single runs in the first inning. Balas Buckmaster jump-started things for Dickinson in the first inning, sprinting out of the box on a fly ball to right field and then coming all the way around to score after it was misplayed by the Comets and rolled to the wall.
 
The Comets tied things up in the bottom of the inning with a two-out rally. After the first two batters were retired, Alan Larocque was hit by a pitch and eventually scored after back-to-back singles by Jared McCorrister and Kole Jessamine.
 
Mayville State took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-run double to the right corner by Anthony Villanueva. The Blue Hawks got one run back in the top of the fifth after Derrick Calvillo reached on a two-out double and then scored on Keanu Calamayan's RBI single. The teams remained scoreless until the wild final inning.
 
Mayville State starter Braxton Greenburg gave the Comets 6 1/3 strong innings. The righthander allowed just four hits and two runs – only one of which was earned. He walked three and struck out five.
 
Dickinson State starter Kobe Krenz went four innings on the mound, scattering four hits and three runs. Cade Kazmirski and Trent Richter both had scoreless relief appearances and Richter earned the win after Dickinson's big rally. John Koronka retired all three batters he faced for the save.
 
The Blue Hawks scored their eight runs on 10 hits – six of which came during the ninth inning rally. Mayville State put up seven runs on seven hits.
 
Derrick Calvillo was the lone Blue Hawk with two hits. Dawson Cortese (3-run HR), Alex Stephens (2-run single) and Richie Cortese (RBI double) all had big hits in the ninth inning.
 
Mayville State was led at the plate by Kole Jessamine who went 3-for-5 with a run and two RBIs. Anthony Villanueva was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Jared McCorrister was 2-for-4 with an RBI.