Late game heroics lead Blue Hawks to sweep of Waldorf, push win streak to nine

Sagan Osborne | Dickinson State Sports Information Director

FOREST CITY, Iowa – Dickinson State used a late come back in game one, and an early game two lead, to stretch their win streak to nine games and clinch at least third place in the North Star Athletic Association.

GAME 1

Dallis Mitchell hit a clutch home run with two outs in the seventh inning to tie the game, and Cassidy Venner drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth, as DSU beat Waldorf, 8-7, in game one.

Three straight singles by from Rhea Paiva, Kara Conway, and Ari Martinez put DSU up 1-0 before an out was recorded in the first inning. Dallis Mitchell drove home the second run with an infield single, and Ari Martinez scored on a double steal to make it 3-0 Blue Hawks early.

The Warriors tied the game in the bottom of the second inning with three runs of their own, but DSU quickly regained the lead in the third when Mitchell brought home another run on an RBI groundout. An error allowed Waldorf to tie the game again in the bottom of the fifth inning, but a pair of runs scored on a passed ball and an error to give DSU a 6-4 lead in the sixth inning.

The back and forth continued as the Warriors regained the lead with a three-run bottom of the sixth inning setting the stage for Mitchell's heroics.

Mitchell also earned the win in the circle for the Blue Hawks, going an impressive eight innings in relief, allowing just four runs, two earned, while scattering ten hits.

GAME 2

The Blue Hawks jumped out to an 11-0 lead and held on to win their ninth straight and earn the Saturday sweep over Waldorf.

After Rhea Paiva started the game with a single, Kara Conway belted a home run to put DSU up 2-0. Ari Martinez followed with a double and scored on a Hailey Enriquez ground out to make it 3-0 Blue Hawks after one inning.

DSU really took control of the game with an eight-run fourth inning that saw the Blue Hawks get RBI hits from Conway, Enriquez, Mitchell, Madeline Peralta, and Ashlee Potter. Waldorf tried to mount a crazy comeback, scoring seven runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth, but the Blue Hawks held the Warriors scoreless the rest of the way to cruise to victory. Peralta added an insurance run on an RBI groundout in the sixth inning before a double by Martinez and a home run by Enriquez in the seventh provided the final margin.

Ari Martinez earned the win for the Blue Hawks, going 6.1 innings and allowing no runs on four hits with five strikeouts and just two walks.