Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports and Marketing Information Director
Bellevue, Neb. – Dickinson State won both games of a doubleheader at Bellevue on Friday, improving to 17-9 overall and 3-1 in the North Star Athletic Association. The Blue Hawks earned a 4-2 win in the opener before breaking out for an 11-2 victory in game two.
In the first game, Dickinson State capitalized on a four-run second inning and leaned on senior pitcher Alison Eldridge, who delivered a complete-game performance. Eldridge scattered six hits, struck out nine, and walked three over seven innings, improving to 7-5 on the season.
The Blue Hawks' rally in the second began with a leadoff double by Brooke Lijewski. Bailey Hansen drew a walk, and Kara Conway followed with a single to center, scoring Lijewski for a 1-0 lead. Ashlee Potter laid down a sacrifice bunt that resulted in a Bellevue error, allowing Hansen to score. Later in the inning, Jersi Morse drove in two with a single up the middle, pushing the lead to 4-0.
Bellevue answered with single runs in the second and third innings. A solo home run cut the deficit to 4-1, and an RBI double the next inning brought the Bruins within two, but Eldridge shut the door the rest of the way. She allowed just three hits over the final four frames.
Morse led Dickinson State with two RBIs, while Conway finished 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. Hansen walked and scored, and Lijewski added a double. The Blue Hawks were held to just four hits but took advantage of two Bellevue errors and three walks.
In game two, Dickinson State's offense erupted for 11 runs across the third and fourth innings, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit. Freshman Ava Jahner earned the win in the circle, allowing two earned runs on seven hits over five innings to move to 5-1 on the year.
Bellevue took a 2-0 lead in the first, scoring on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. The Blue Hawks were held scoreless through two innings before breaking through with an eight-run third.
Dickinson State sent 12 batters to the plate in the third. Lijewski started the scoring with a single to center, bringing home Allyson Farrington. With the bases loaded, Hansen unloaded a grand slam to left field to give the Blue Hawks a 5-2 lead. Later in the inning, Potter homered to left-center, driving in three more runs to extend the lead to 8-2.
Hansen added another home run in the fourth, a three-run shot to center field, finishing the game with two homers and seven RBIs. The senior went 3-for-3 on the day and now leads the team in home runs.
Potter finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs, and Conway and Kiley Hubby each scored once. Wilharm added a hit and two runs scored, while Morse walked twice and scored twice.
Jahner worked around traffic in the first and third innings but stranded multiple runners in both frames. She retired the side in order in the fifth to end the game via run rule.
Over the two games, Dickinson State totaled 15 runs on 13 hits. Hansen led the way with seven RBIs, while Morse drove in two and Lijewski added one. Conway scored twice and recorded an RBI.
Defensively, the Blue Hawks played error-free softball in both contests. Eldridge and Jahner combined for 13 strikeouts and held Bellevue to four runs across 12 innings. The pair improved to a combined 12-6 on the season.