Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports and Marketing Information Director
Dickinson, N.D. – Dickinson State opened North Star Athletic Association play by splitting a doubleheader with Mayville State on Thursday at DCB&T Ballpark. The Blue Hawks took the opener 4-1 behind a complete game from Jacob Scully, before dropping the second game 7-6. With the split, Dickinson State moved to 9-18 overall and 1-1 in NSAA play.
In the opener, Scully was in control from start to finish. The senior right-hander allowed just three hits and one earned run in a seven-inning complete game. He struck out nine, walked four, and retired the final seven batters he faced. After giving up a solo home run to Conway in the first inning, Scully held the Comets scoreless the rest of the way.
Dickinson State tied the game in the fourth when Luis Rodriguez drove in John-Michael Gonzalez Jr. with a two-out single to center. The Blue Hawks went ahead in the fifth when Jadyn Roberts tripled to center, scoring pinch runner Nathaniel Jilek. Roberts then stole home on a double steal attempt, with Sawyer Bryner swiping second.
Roberts extended the lead in the seventh with a solo home run to left. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Cameron Erickson added two hits, while Rodriguez, Gonzalez Jr., Wyatt Wilharm, and Ty Farwell each recorded one hit. Gonzalez Jr. added a stolen base and scored a run.
The Blue Hawks committed no errors and turned in a clean defensive effort behind Scully, who threw 114 pitches and faced 28 batters in the win.
In Game Two, Dickinson State fell behind 6-0 in the first inning and never led, despite tying the game later. Mayville State scored five runs in the opening frame on five hits and one error. Van Luchene allowed six runs—three earned—over two innings in the start.
The Blue Hawks began chipping away in the third, when Wilharm singled to right to score Kadin Finders. In the sixth, walks to Wilharm and Gonzalez Jr. set the table for Moses Dokes, who hit a three-run home run to left to bring Dickinson State within one. It was Dokes' first home run of the season.
In the seventh, the Blue Hawks tied the game at 6-6. Erickson led off with a single and was replaced by Jilek as a pinch runner. Jilek was retired on a fielder's choice, but Roberts reached and stole second. Gonzalez Jr. followed with an RBI single to score Roberts. Dokes walked and Rodriguez followed with another walk to load the bases. Farwell was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run.
Mayville State regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Conway singled and was replaced by pinch runner Kirkup, who stole second and scored on a single to center by Goff. Molina Jr., who allowed two hits and the deciding run in the inning, took the loss in relief.
Gonzalez Jr. went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Wilharm was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs. Dokes drove in three and scored once. Erickson, Rodriguez, Braaten, and Finders each collected singles as the Blue Hawks totaled eight hits.
The bullpen held the Comets scoreless after the first until the eighth. Hanson, Wishowski, Aliff, and Chitty combined for five scoreless innings. Molina Jr. was the sixth pitcher used and faced five batters in the eighth.
The Blue Hawks left nine runners on base and did not record a hit in the final two innings. Mayville State outhit Dickinson State 13-8 and played error-free defense in the win.