Lewiston, Idaho - Dickinson State opened play at the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round, presented by Avista with a 4-2 loss to fourth-seeded Oregon Tech on Monday afternoon at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho. The Blue Hawks, seeded fifth in the regional, will face the loser of Lewis-Clark State and Wayland Baptist in an elimination game Tuesday at 11 a.m. PT.
Senior right-hander Jacob Scully recorded his eighth complete game of the season, allowing four runs—two earned—on eight hits over eight innings. Scully (7-6) walked three and struck out two in the 114-pitch outing, facing 36 batters while lowering his season ERA to 4.32. He has now thrown 93.2 innings in 2024-25, breaking the school record for innings pitched in a season.
Oregon Tech jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. After a throwing error extended the frame, the Owls took advantage with a two-out, two-run double down the right field line to open the scoring.
Dickinson State answered in the top of the third. Logan Braaten was hit by a pitch with one out, and catcher Cameron Erickson followed with a two-run homer to right field, tying the game 2-2. It was Erickson's fifth home run of the season and pushed his RBI total to 22. The senior is now slugging .424 on the year.
The Owls reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run to left-center, then added an insurance run in the eighth via an RBI double to left-center that made it 4-2.
The Blue Hawks managed just four hits in the game—one each from Erickson, Wyatt Wilharm, Moses Dokes and Tyson Threadgill. Threadgill entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth and doubled to left-center, advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Erickson. But a groundout ended the threat, stranding the tying run 90 feet away.
Wilharm singled in the ninth with one out to bring the tying run to the plate. Nathaniel Jilek pinch ran but was left on second after a groundout and pop-up ended the game.
Dickinson State left three runners on base and went hitless with runners in scoring position after the third inning. Dokes reached base twice, adding a single in the fourth and later flying out to end the game.
Gonzalez Jr., who leads the Blue Hawks with 54 hits on the season and a .342 average, walked to open the seventh but was erased on a double play.
Defensively, Dickinson State committed one error in the contest, which led to both runs in the second being unearned. The Blue Hawks turned in a solid effort behind Scully, who induced 13 flyouts and eight groundouts.
Oregon Tech's starter earned the win after eight innings of work, giving up three hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts. Their closer recorded the save, allowing one hit in the ninth.
With the loss, Dickinson State falls to 21-30 overall. They'll look to stay alive in the postseason with a win in Tuesday morning's elimination game.
