Blue Hawks take two of three from Mayville State

Rapid City, S.D. – Dickinson State baseball got complete games from both Jacob Scully and Jonathan Lerma as the Blue Hawks took two of three from Mayville State in South Dakota on Friday. The series, originally scheduled to be played at DCB&T Ballpark in Dickinson, was moved to Rapid City, South Dakota due to weather and all three games were played on Friday. The fourth game of the series will be attempted to be played April 9 when MSU visits Dickinson for a midweek clash.

Game One – MSU 9 DSU 7 (9 Innings)

Dickinson State erased a 6-1 deficit with a furious rally late to force extra innings, but Mayville State scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to take game one.

Wyatt Wilharm and Carlos Molina Jr. both homered for DSU, while Kadin Finders went 4-5 as the Blue Hawks hammered out 15 hits but were snake bit by costly errors in the thriller.

Mayville State scored in each of the first four innings to take a 6-1 advantage, but RBI hits from Finders and Alberto Nieto in the bottom of the fourth inning got DSU back to within three, 6-3.

After a scoreless fifth inning for both teams, the Blue Hawks got all the way back when Erickson connected for a deep drive over the right field fence scoring two, and Keanu Calamayan doubled on a full count with two outs, allowing Wilharm to score from first to tie the game.

DSU had a couple chances in extra innings to earn the walk off win but could not convert as the Comets took the series opener.

Game Two – DSU 6 MSU 5

Dickinson State got a go-ahead home run from Nathaniel Jilek in the bottom of the sixth inning and Jacob Scully threw a complete game to earn the win in game two and knot the series 1-1.

For the second straight game Dickinson State erased a five-run deficit, after trailing 5-0 in the fifth inning, with a five-run bottom of the fifth. Jilek got things started with a line drive to left and stole second base. Cameron Erickson followed with a walk before a single by Wyatt Wilharm scored Jilek and courtesy runner Moses Dokes went first to third to give DSU runners at the corners. Carlos Molina Jr. then got the Blue Hawks within one with a mammoth home run to right field and Mathias Dufner followed with a sharp single to left field to keep the rally going. After a pitching change, Kadin Finders tripled to deep right center field, scoring Dufner, and tying the game at 5-5, setting the stage for Jilek's heroics.

Scully went all seven innings to earn the win, allowing five runs on six hits while walking three and striking out seven. Four Blue Hawks had two hits each as DSU gathered double digit hits (11) for the second straight game.

Game Three – DSU 5 MSU 3

Once again DSU was forced to erase an early deficit after allowing three runs in the top of the first inning, but starter Jonathan Lerma settled in to throw a complete game gem as Dickinson State won 5-3 to go 2-1 on the day.

The Blue Hawks trailed 3-1, with their lone run coming on a bases-loaded infield single by Cole Siembab, in the bottom of the sixth inning before they capitalized on a tough inning by the Comet defense to take a 5-3 lead. Mathias Dufner reached on an error to start the inning and moved to third on a one-out single by Jace Buchanan. Mayville State turned to their bullpen and DSU countered by bringing in Lane Neill to pinch hit, and Neill was hit by the third pitch he saw loading the bases with one out. Back-to-back walks by Nathaniel Jilek and Alberto Nieto tied the game at three before MSU got their second out. Wyatt Wilharm then gave the Blue Hawks the lead when he reached on an error, and Jilek made it 5-3 when he scored on a wild pitch one batter later.

Lerma worked around a one-out single in the seventh to slam the door shut and earn the win. His final line showed 7 innings allowing three runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out seven. It was his second seven inning outing in three weeks after seven shutout innings against Viterbo on March 16.