Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports and Marketing Information Director
Kansas City, Kan.. – Dickinson State faced a tough doubleheader in Kansas City, struggling against Concordia (Neb.) before nearly completing a comeback against William Penn. The Blue Hawks were held scoreless in the opener but showed resilience in the second game, rallying late before falling by one run.
Dickinson State struggled offensively in a 14-0 loss to Concordia (Neb.) in Kansas City. The Blue Hawks managed just two hits while striking out 12 times.
The game remained scoreless through two innings before Concordia broke through in the third. A solo home run opened the scoring, followed by a grand slam that put Dickinson State in a 5-0 hole. Concordia added two more runs in the fifth on an RBI single and a solo homer. A six-run sixth inning put the game out of reach, highlighted by a two-run single and a wild pitch that allowed a run to score. A double in the seventh capped the scoring.
Dickinson State had limited opportunities at the plate. Moses Dokes and Cameron Erickson accounted for the team's only hits, while Jerry Santiago Jr. drew the lone walk. The Blue Hawks' best scoring chance came in the sixth when Erickson singled, but a strikeout ended the inning.
Cooper Van Luchene took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits in 3.1 innings while striking out six. Rogelio Gonzalez and Noah Aliff combined to pitch the final 3.1 innings, giving up nine runs on eight hits.
In their second game of the day, Dickinson State rallied late but fell short in a 9-8 loss to William Penn.
William Penn jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and extended it to 9-0 after three innings. Dickinson State responded with four runs in the fourth. Preston Jones doubled and later scored on a single by Jadyn Roberts. Carlos Molina Jr. followed with a three-run homer to right, cutting the deficit to 9-4.
The Blue Hawks continued their push in the fifth. Roberts scored on a two-run double by Moses Dokes, making it 9-6. Dickinson State inched closer in the sixth when John-Michael Gonzalez Jr. doubled home Jace Buchanan.
In the seventh, Roberts singled and later came around to score on a single by Tyson Threadgill, bringing the Blue Hawks within a run. However, Dickinson State was unable to push across the tying run.
Molina Jr. led the offense with three RBIs, while Roberts scored three times. The Blue Hawks finished with 12 hits.
Tate Williams took the loss, allowing five runs in two innings. Dax Chitty pitched two scoreless innings in relief, keeping Dickinson State within striking distance.