Trojans Lose Out on NSAA Regular Season Title to the Bruins

With the NSAA regular season title on the line, the Dakota State baseball team fell to Bellevue in their final regular season doubleheader this past weekend. 

In game one of the doubleheader, the Bruins scored in the bottom of the first inning to get a lead that they would not let go of. 

Both teams remained scoreless for the next three innings, before the Bruins added their second run of the afternoon in the bottom of the fifth. They scored again in the sixth inning, bringing in three runs to extend their lead to 5-0.

The Trojans ended their scoring drought in the top of the seventh with two runs. However, they were unable to score again in the final two innings, falling to Bellevue 5-2. 

The Bruins outhit the Trojans 13-7 in the game. BU left 11 runners on base compared to DSU eight runners left on base.

Ryan McDaniel led Dakota State with two singles and an RBI. Walker Hultgren, Jace Pribyl, Chris Burke, Cade Wenninger, and Dawson Portner each added a single. Jeremy Green collected an RBI. 

Nick Grade went 4-of-5 at the plate with a double, three singles, and drove in two runs for Bellevue. 

Nicholai Arbach (L, 4-3) took the setback on the pitching mound for DSU. He pitched four innings and allowed one run on six hits. He recorded five strikeouts. Alex Swack worked for two outs in the bottom fifth in relief. Will Clair tossed 3 1/3 innings in relief, giving up three runs on six hits.  He struck out three BU’s batters.

Alexandro Celiceo (W, 8-1) earned the victory after pitching 6 1/3 innings for BU. He allowed two runs on five hits and registered five strikeouts. Kenji Miller tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, yielding the Trojans to two hits.

The second game featured a similar result as the first.

Bellevue again came out and scored a run in the opening inning to lead 1-0 after one. Then in the third inning, the Bruins registered four runs capped off by a 2-Run home run to balloon their lead to 5-0 over the Trojans.

DSU scored their first run in the top of the fifth off of Cade Wennington’s solo home run. Bellevue answered with another four-run inning, with three coming in off of a 3-Run home run as they continued to extend their lead, up 9-1. 

The Bruins plated three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, and with no answers from the Trojans, Bellevue secured both the 12-1 win and the NSAA regular season title. 

Bellevue outhit Dakota State 9-4 in the game. The Trojans committed four defensive miscues while the Bruins did not commit a defensive error.

Wenninger led the Trojans’ offense with a home run and an RBI. Portner added a single and a walk. Mason Macaluso and Chris Burke each recorded a single.

Logan Grant had a double, single, and drove in two runs for the Bruins. Mathieu Sirois hit a home run and collected three RBIs. Anthony Lind added a home run and tallied two RBIs.  

Grant Svikulis (L, 6-2) recorded the defeat for Dakota State. He pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed nine runs (five unearned) on seven hits. Cole Westerlund worked the final out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Aiden Urbom pitched a shutout sixth inning in relief.

Dakota State has a 34-16 overall record and completed their North Star conference schedule with a 24-4 record. Their 24 conference victories are the most in school history since the league’s inception in 2013-14. 

Bellevue, ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 national poll, lifted their overall record to 41-8 and completed the conference schedule with a 25-3 record.

Both teams prepare for the North Star baseball postseason tournament, which starts on Friday, May 5. They are each waiting to see who they will play in the tournament. 

Dakota State will be the No. 2 seed in the postseason conference tournament, while Bellevue secured the top seed in the tournament.