Blue Hawks use strong pitching to sweep double-header at VCSU

Valley City, N.D. – Dickinson State used stellar pitching performances to sweep the conference double header with Valley City State on Thursday. Playing an unusual Thursday/Saturday conference series due to weather, DSU battled through strong winds to collect a pair of important wins. The two teams will conclude the series Saturday in Dickinson starting at 2 pm.

Game One – DSU 3 VCSU 1

After Dickinson State scored a run in the top of the first inning thanks to an RBI double from Carlos Molina Jr., VCSU answered with a run of their own to tie the game at 1-1. From then on the story was all about the DSU pitching staff. Starter Patrick Deitz combined with Anthony Hanson, Trevor Ball, and Trent Chavez to shut the Vikings out the rest of the way.

DSU broke through the pitcher's duel in the sixth inning when Alberto Nieto legged out an infield single and the advanced to third base thanks to a steal and an errant pick off throw. Jace Buchanan followed with a sharp single to right-center field to give the Blue Hawks the lead. Mathias Dufner gave Dickinson State an insurance run with a double to the left field wall, scoring Molina Jr. from first base after a walk.

VCSU threatened in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs, but Chavez was able to strike out Dustin Mertz looking to end the threat and earn his fourth save of the season.

Game Two – DSU 3 VCSU 0

The superb pitching continued into the second game, as Trent Richter, Cooper Van Luchene, and Jonathan Lerma combined to throw 11 shut out innings as DSU earned the thrilling extra-innings victory.

Wyatt Wilharm led the offense, going 3-5 with two doubles, with his biggest hit coming in the top of the 11^th inning as he doubled to start the Blue Hawk rally.

Both pitching staffs were nearly perfect through 10 innings with the teams locked into a 0-0 tie. DSU finally broke through thanks to two walks and a hit by pitch following Wilharm's double, as Kadin Finders drove in the go-ahead run with a full-count walk. Luke Clinton followed with a single to left field to make it 2-0, and Nathainel Jilek worked the second bases-loaded walk of the inning to make it 3-0 Blue Hawks.

Lerma allowed two base runners in the bottom of the 11^th but struck out the last two batters to put a bow on in his final regular season appearance for Dickinson State.