Enriquez has career day, but Blue Hawks drop pair on day two in Tucson

Sagan Osborne | Dickinson State Sports Information Director

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Dickinson State softball team dropped a pair of games on day two in Tucson, Arizona. They fell 7-2 in game one to York (Neb.) before dropping a slugfest, 15-11, to Dakota Wesleyan in game two.

GAME 1

Dickinson State was held without a hit through the first three innings as York built an early 4-0 lead. It wasn't until two outs in the fourth inning that the Blue Hawks got their first hit, an infield single from Rhea Paiva, but again could not push across any runs.

Ari Martinez broke the shut out when she led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a home run to center field, but three ground outs erased a couple walks to end the Blue Hawk threat. Hailey Enriquez singled home the final DSU run in the sixth inning, scoring Paiva who had reached on another infield single.

Despite having just four hits on the game, the Blue Hawks worked nine walks, but 13 runners left on base proved to be the difference in the game. Dallis Mitchell started the game in the circle for DSU, going 3.0 innings and allowing 2 runs (0 earned) on 4 hits and striking out 4 while walking one.

GAME 2

The Dickinson State bats came alive in game two of the day, but unfortunately for the Blue Hawks the bats from Dakota Wesleyan were hotter in a 15-11 defeat.

After the Tigers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, DSU responded with six unanswered runs to take a 6-2 lead heading into the third inning. Enriquez started the scoring for DSU in the first, again singling home Paiva who walked to lead off the game. Enriquez provided the big blow in the second inning, as a two-out grand slam to left field followed an RBI single by Mitchell.

Dakota Wesleyan got three runs back in the top of the third inning, making it 6-5, but a Cassidy Venner -RBI single in the fourth got the Blue Hawks back to a two-run lead. Three more Tiger runners crossed home in the fifth inning giving DWU their first lead since the first inning, 8-7, but a sacrifice fly by Madeline Peralta in the bottom half of the inning knotted the score at 8 headed to the sixth inning.

Despite getting a two-run blast and RBI single by Enriquez in the sixth and seventh innings, DSU couldn't keep up as DWU pushed across seven runs in the final two frames to earn the victory.

For the game, Enriquez went 4-4 with two home runs and eight RBI in one of the best performances by a Blue Hawk hitter in recent memory. Kara Conway and Venner were the only other DSU hitters to record multiple hits on the game.

WHATS NEXT

The Blue Hawks will take on Jamestown and Concordia (Neb.) on Wednesday in Tucson at 9:00 and 11:00 am MT.