WATERTOWN, S.D. – The Dickinson State University (DSU) softball team went 1-1 during the second day of the North Star Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon. The Blue Hawks fended off an elimination game with a 4-3 walk-off win over Dakota State but fell to Mayville State in the following game to end their 2022 season. The Blue Hawks end the year with a 20-26 overall record – including a 10-10 mark in North Star regular-season action.
Game One: Dickinson State 4, Dakota State University 3
Dickinson State quickly got out to a 2-0 lead after back-to-back scoring innings to open the game. In the bottom of the first inning, Rhea Paiva got things rolling after an error by the shortstop to reach first base. After a sacrifice bunt by Dallis Mitchell to advance Paiva, Ari Martinez singled to the shortstop to advance Paiva to third. However, after a throwing error by DaSU's shortstop, Paiva would cross home plate for the early 1-0 lead.
In the following inning, the Blue Hawks tagged on another run – this time off the bat of Rhea Paiva to score Kennedy Kuntz for the 2-0 lead.
However, the Trojans responded with three runs over the next four innings to gain their first lead of the game, 3-2.
The season for both teams came down to the final inning – with the Trojans taking the slight one-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. After a lead-off walk by Madison Stephens, pinch-runner Kamryn Kuntz would advance to second after a stolen base on the next at-bat. After a DSU strikeout for the first out of the inning, Rhea Paiva would reach base on an error by the Trojans' third baseman. With two runners on and down by one, Dallis Mitchell made one count with a walk-off 2RBI double to left field for the 4-3 victory.
From the Box Score –
Although the Blue Hawks were outhit, 7-5, in the game, DSU made it count – capitalizing on four Trojan errors to eliminate Dakota State from the tournament with the win. Rhea Paiva led the offense going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Dallis Mitchell, Ari Martinez, and Katelyn Kubitschek connected for the final three hits in the win.
From the mound, Dallis Mitchell picked up with win after a three-run off seven hit performance. Mitchell added two walks, while sitting down five Trojan batters in seven innings of work.
Game Two: Dickinson State 3, Mayville State 11 – 5 innings
In the second meeting between both teams during the Conference Tournament, the Comets once again came away with the victory with an 11-3 win to advance in the tournament and knock off the Blue Hawks.
Despite scoring the first run of the game off a sacrifice fly by Ari Martinez in the top of the first inning, the Comets responded with five runs over the next two innings for the 5-1 lead. After another RBI by Martinez in the top of the fourth inning to cut into the Comets' lead, MSU used a five-run, four-hit fourth innings to extend their lead to 10-2.
The Blue Hawks responded with a run of their own in the fifth inning to fend off a mercy-rule victory but the Comets continued their offensive threat and scored in the bottom of the inning to hand the Blue Hawks the 11-3 loss.
From the Box Score –
Three Blue Hawks notched a multiple-hit game with two hits including Rhea Paiva, Ari Martinez, and Emma Woodworth. The final three hits came off the bats of Katelyn Kubitschek, Kara Conway, and Emilie Sickler.
From the mound, Dallis Mitchell suffered the loss as she let up five runs (3ER) off five hits in nine batters faced. Ari Martinez entered the game in relief and let up six runs (6ER) off seven hits in three innings of work.
