DICKINSON, N.D. — Dickinson State split a doubleheader with Valley City State on Monday at Dakota Community Bank and Trust Ballpark, falling 6-3 in the opener before responding with a 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
Game 1: Valley City State 6, Dickinson State 3
Valley City State used a three-run fifth inning to break open a close game and held off a late Dickinson State push to take the opener. The Vikings finished with 10 hits and capitalized on three Blue Hawk errors.
Dickinson State struck first in the third when Ramon Teran doubled and later scored on Jace Buchanan's two-out RBI single. The Blue Hawks added a run in the fifth as Jadyn Roberts reached and scored on Ty Farwell's RBI single to center.
DSU totaled five hits and drew four walks but left seven runners on base. Buchanan finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Farwell added a hit, RBI and walk.
Tate Williams started and worked 3.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Logan Smith followed with an inning in relief, and Anthony Hanson pitched the seventh, striking out one.
Game 2: Dickinson State 7, Valley City State 4
The Blue Hawks rebounded in the nightcap, scoring three early runs and sealing the win with a four-run sixth. DSU finished with nine hits, drew six walks and stole four bases to even the series.
Wyatt Wilharm opened the scoring with an RBI double in the second inning, plating Moses Dokes after his leadoff single. The Blue Hawks added another run in the third for a 3-0 lead before Valley City State rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth.
Dickinson State answered immediately in the home half. After a walk, a hit batter and a single loaded the bases, Ty Farwell broke it open with a grand slam to right field to make it 7-3.
Farwell finished with four RBIs and a run scored. Buchanan went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and stolen base, while Wilharm and Dokes each added a hit and a run. Sawyer Bryner contributed a hit and two stolen bases.
Noah Aliff started and threw a scoreless first inning. Mason Lunzman, Patrick Dietz and Collin Fortier combined to cover the middle frames before Brandon Hegedus closed it out with a scoreless seventh, striking out one.
With the split, Dickinson State moved to 2-2 on the fall season.