Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports and Marketing Information Director
Dickinson, N.D. – Dickinson State swept a North Star Athletic Association doubleheader against Mayville State on Friday at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark, earning wins of 9-2 and 16-12. The Blue Hawks improved to 11-18 overall and 3-1 in NSAA play.
In the opener, Dickinson State erased an early two-run deficit with nine unanswered runs. After Mayville State took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the Blue Hawks got on the board in the second when Kadin Finders delivered a two-out RBI single to left, scoring Luis Rodriguez.
The third inning proved decisive. Dickinson State scored six runs on five hits and two walks. John-Michael Gonzalez Jr. gave the Blue Hawks the lead with a three-run home run to center. Later in the inning, Finders added an RBI double, and Cameron Erickson drove in two with a single up the middle to extend the lead to 7-2.
Rodriguez added an RBI single in the fourth, and Lane Neill delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh to score Sawyer Bryner, who had entered as a pinch runner and stole both second and third.
Tate Williams went the distance for Dickinson State, scattering five hits and two runs over seven innings. The right-hander struck out five, walked two, and threw 89 pitches to earn the win.
Gonzalez finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs. Finders went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a double. Rodriguez and Erickson each recorded two hits and drove in a run.
In game two, Dickinson State jumped out early and built a 12-2 lead through four innings before withstanding a late rally. After falling behind 1-0 in the first, the Blue Hawks responded with five runs in the second. Finders hit a two-run triple to right-center to get the scoring started. Wyatt Wilharm followed with an RBI single, and Gonzalez drove in two more with a double to right-center.
The offense continued in the third. Rodriguez doubled to lead off, and after an error and a passed ball, Finders and Erickson produced back-to-back sacrifice flies. Gonzalez added a two-run single to make it 9-1. In the fourth, Dickinson State tacked on three more. Rodriguez scored on a groundout, and Jadyn Roberts and Wilharm followed with RBI singles, giving the Blue Hawks a 12-2 advantage.
Mayville State answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and one more in the fifth. A three-run homer in the seventh made it 12-8.
The Blue Hawks responded with a four-run eighth. Roberts drove in two with a single to right. Wilharm and Gonzalez added RBI singles to give Dickinson State a 16-8 lead. Mayville State scored two in the eighth and two more in the ninth to close the gap, but Trent Chavez secured the final out on a fielder's choice.
Wilharm went 4-for-6 with two RBIs and reached base five times. Gonzalez added three more hits and drove in five in game two, finishing the day with eight RBIs. Roberts went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Finders added three RBIs and a triple.
Trent Richter earned the win, allowing five earned runs over five innings with four strikeouts. Rogelio Gonzalez, Carlos Molina Jr., and Chavez combined to cover the final four innings.
The Blue Hawks collected 15 hits and seven walks in game two while taking advantage of defensive miscues and three wild pitches. Dickinson State stole four bases and had five extra-base hits on the day.
