Blue Hawks split with Presentation in mid-week doubleheader

Sagan Osborne | Dickinson State Sports Information Director

Dickinson, N.D. – Dickinson State split a mid-week conference double header on Wednesday against Presentation College, as the Blue Hawks took game one 9-5 before falling in the night cap, 3-2.

GAME 1

The game started as a pitcher's duel with Dickinson State clinging to a 1-0 lead heading into the fifth inning, but 13 total runs were scored in the final three frames as the Blue Hawks took game one 9-5.

DSU starter Alexa Kappel worked around a pair of walks in the first inning by getting an inning ending double play to escape the jam. Rhea Paiva singled to start the bottom half of the inning and came in to score on a two-out double by Dallis Mitchell to right-center field, putting DSU up 1-0.

Neither offense could get anything going again until a two-out two-run double by the Saints in the top of the fifth inning gave PC their first lead of the game, 2-1. The Blue Hawks immediately responded when Kara Conway walked to lead of the inning and two batters later Mitchell blasted a home run down the left field line to put DSU back in front, 3-2. Mitchell's blast was followed up by back-to-back walks from Cassidy Venner and Emma Woodworth before Kappel singled to score Venner. Kaitlyn Rizo extended the DSU lead to 6-2 when she singled home Woodworth and Kappel with two outs, and back-to-back singles by Paiva and Conway forced her home to make it 7-2 Blue Hawks.

A two-RBI single by Kamryn Kuntz in the sixth inning made it 9-2 Blue Hawks before the Saints added three in the seventh for the final score.

GAME 2

A late comeback effort came up just short as the Blue Hawks fell, 3-2, in game two.

After the Saints scored a run in the first inning on an RBI double, the Blue Hawks were able to tie it up when Rhea Paiva singled, moved to second on a ground out, and scored on two passed balls.

Presentation got the lead back with a run in the third and added an insurance run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly to center field, giving them a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. A fielder's choice by Dallis Mitchell drove in Kara Conway, who singled with one out, to make it 3-2, but with Mitchell stuck on third base the Saints were able to escape the jam to take the second half of the double header.