DICKINSON, ND – The Dickinson State baseball team dropped its season opener on Tuesday afternoon, 8-7, to Valley City State University (1-0, 0-0).
Dickinson State had more hits (13-9), extra base hits (5-2) and homeruns (2-1), but five unearned runs proved to be the difference in a back-and-forth battle at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark on Tuesday.
VCSU started fast with three straight singles to open the game, taking a 1-0 lead. A sac fly gave the visitors a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first. The Blue Hawk offense was able to respond after a Jacob Clinton walk and a Robert Encinas single put two runners on with no outs. After a strike out, and a double steal, Derrick Calvillo doubled over the right fielder's head, tying the game at 2.
Valley City would answer right back in the 2nd with 2 more runs, helped by a DSU error, to take a 4-2 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Dickinson State got right back on top when Dawson Cortese drove a 2-out, 3-run homerun over the right center field wall putting DSU up 5-4.
In the top of the 4th inning, the Vikings used a 2-out error to score two runs and followed that up with a 2-run homerun to take an 8-5 lead.
Balas Buckmaster led off the 8th inning with a single for the Blue Hawks, and scored on an Encinas triple, to cut the deficit to two. In the bottom of the 9th inning, Cade Ostenson homered to lead off the inning and bring the Blue Hawks within one, but the VCSU closer would retire the next three batters in order to end the game.
Five DSU hitters gathered multiple hits, with Richie Cortese (2), Encinas (3), Calvillo (2), Ostenson (2), and Buckmaster (2) leading the Blue Hawk offense. Newcomers Carlos Molina Jr. (2 IP, 0 ER) and Moses Dokes (3 IP, 4 R, 2 ER) had strong DSU debuts on the mound, while returner Trent Richter (4 IP, 4 R, 0 ER) took the tough luck loss.
Head Coach Michael Dahl on the loss:
"I thought we played well. Valley City just took advantage of the couple mistakes we made and that was the difference in the game. I was very encouraged with what I saw on the offensive side of the ball, and our pitchers threw the ball well. We just need to clean some things up and get ready for a good Jamestown team on Friday."
WHATS NEXT
The Blue Hawks will return to action on Friday, September 16th, as they take on the University of Jamestown in a double header. It will be alumni weekend, so all DSU baseball alumni are invited to come take part in the festivities.
