DICKINSON, N.D. — Dickinson State completed its sweep of the Frontier Conference softball championships Sunday, defeating Bellevue 5-4 in the tournament title game at Bravera Field to add the postseason championship to its regular-season title and secure the league's automatic berth to the NAIA Opening Round.
The Blue Hawks (40-12) extended their winning streak to 24 games and will learn their Opening Round assignment Wednesday at 4 p.m. MT. The NAIA Opening Round is scheduled for May 11-14 at campus sites.
Dickinson State did not lead until the fifth inning, but the Blue Hawks used one swing from Brooke Lijewski and another from Kiley Hubby to erase a one-run deficit and take control. DSU trailed 3-2 entering the bottom of the fifth before Stocktyn Stevenson reached on a one-out single. Lijewski followed with a two-run home run to put the Blue Hawks in front, and Hubby added a solo home run one batter later for a 5-3 lead.
Bellevue scored once in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate, but Ava Jahner finished a complete-game effort to close the tournament. Jahner improved to 11-2, allowing four runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
The championship capped a four-game tournament run for Dickinson State, which entered as the No. 1 seed after winning the regular-season championship. DSU opened the tournament with a 10-2 win over Dakota State, defeated Bismarck State 10-6, rallied past Providence 8-7 on Saturday and then held off Bellevue on Sunday.
Bellevue struck first in the opening inning. Mariah Unverzagt singled with one out and moved to third on Daniela Ramirez's double. Marguerite Brown scored on Breanne McMurtry's RBI double, but Ramirez was thrown out at the plate to keep the Blue Hawks within 1-0.
The Bruins added a run in the second after Miranda Garcia reached on an error, moved to third on a Savannah Short single and scored on Emma Crisman's sacrifice fly.
Dickinson State answered in the bottom of the second. Viennah Meyer doubled to center field with two outs, and Allyson Farrington followed with an RBI double to right field to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Bellevue left the bases loaded in the third after Jahner worked out of trouble, and the Blue Hawks tied the game in the bottom half. Stevenson reached on a bunt single, moved to second on Celina Wilharm's groundout and scored on Lijewski's RBI single to right field.
The Bruins went back in front in the fourth when Short singled, Lindsey Dressman entered as a pinch runner and Unverzagt doubled to left field to make it 3-2. Jahner limited the inning to one run by getting a strikeout to end the frame.
DSU went in order in the fourth and Jahner retired Bellevue in order in the fifth, setting up the Blue Hawks' decisive inning. After Ayaka Tajima grounded out to start the bottom of the fifth, Stevenson singled. Wilharm flied out for the second out, but Lijewski drove in Stevenson with a two-run home run. Hubby followed with a solo home run, giving Dickinson State three runs in the inning and a two-run lead.
Jahner retired the Bruins in order in the sixth. DSU threatened in the bottom of the inning after Baylee Berg reached on an error and Jessa Duggan walked, but Bellevue kept the score at 5-3.
Bellevue made one final push in the seventh. Unverzagt doubled with one out and scored on Ramirez's RBI single to center field with two outs. Jahner got McMurtry to ground out to third base to end the game.
Lijewski led Dickinson State at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Stevenson finished 2-for-4 and scored twice. Hubby went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and RBI. Meyer and Farrington each added doubles, with Farrington driving in a run.
Unverzagt led Bellevue, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Ramirez, McMurtry and Short also had extra-base hits for the Bruins, who finished with nine hits.
