Hawks sweep Saints: DSU racks up 29 total hits to top Presentation in doubleheader

The Dickinson State baseball team had near-perfect weather conditions to open its season at home. There was just too much wind.
Under the bright sun with temperatures reaching 80 degrees, the Blue Hawks had to battle through 20-plus miles-per-hour gusts against their opponent Presentation College (S.D.).
But despite the wind and the challenges the Saints presented, DSU swept the doubleheader 2-1, 15-10, in the North Star Athletic Association conference games on Saturday at Southside Municipal Ballpark and Astoria Field.
“It’s great for the team to come out and do stuff like that, to start off the year with two W’s is big especially for a young team,” DSU third baseman Jacob Hignite said.
The strong gusts kept both teams bats at bay and made it a battle on the mound. Both pitchers, DSU senior Eric Seiler and Presentation sophomore Ryan Baldonado, combined for eight hits and three runs the entire game. Seiler pitched seven innings and kept the Saints scoreless until the final frame. Junior Tony Hofman doubled to deep center field and his courtesy runner, sophomore Adam Lambert, scored on the next at bat when Baldonado hit a single over the head of second baseman Landon Briscoe.
“Eric he came out and he did what he’s done all season,” Watson said. “He commands the zone on the mound, he throws strikes and pitched one heck of a ball game.”
The run was too little too late as the Blue Hawks secured the win with a run in the fourth and fifth innings. Jeff VanCleave singled past shortstop to bring home Jordan Tescher, while Tescher followed up with a RBI single in the fifth.
Seiler finished with one run on three hits in seven innings and struck out four batters. Baldonado gave up two runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
“Really I just went in there and I tried to throw strikes and let the defense work and they had my back from inning one through seven,” Seiler said.
Though the wind was still blowing during game two, Presentation proved to be more problematic.
DSU jumped out two an early 4-0 lead with two runs in the first inning and two in the second. The Saints wanted to at least split the series Saturday and exploded offensively. Presentation scored nine runs in the third inning.
DSU’s problems began when Josh Youngchild reached base on a bobbled throw by Landon Briscoe and starting pitcher Joey Buchanan walked Lane Hovde to load the bases.
Jonathan Koessl came in for Buchanan and on the first pitch gave up a three-run home run by Jesse Spangler. The freshman pitcher gave up one more run before the nightmare inning ended.
“Joey kind of ran into some bad luck in the third inning,” Watson said. “A big error that should have ended the inning and kind of started to snowball. They kept hitting because they got a little bit of confidence and I had to make a change and it’s rough for him because he was only throwing in the third inning.”
But instead of folding, the Blue Hawks rallied and returned the favor. DSU outscored Presentation 11-1 down the stretch and collected 24 total hits to put the Saints in their place.
In the bottom of the seventh, Seiler hit a RBI single past first base to bring DSU within one, 10-9, and on the next at bat Hignite hit the go-ahead RBI single to bring in Skabo and Tescher.
Seiler finished 5 for 6 with five RBI and three runs, Tescher went 3 for 4 with four runs, a RBI and a walk, and Skabo went 4 for 5 with three runs. Briscoe was DSU’s other multi-run player who ended with two runs and a RBI.
Pogroszewski was credited with the win for DSU and held Presentation to two hits and no runs in three innings of work. The Saints used five pitchers in eight innings but Brandt Martinez picked up the loss who had four runs on four hits.
“(Overcoming adversity) is what we need to do as a team and it’s what we did (Saturday),” said Hignite, who went 5 for 6 with five RBI and a run. “We picked each other up when we needed it and that’s all we needed to do.”
DSU returns to the field with another doubleheader with Presentation starting at noon today.
“Keep the bats hot, that’s the big thing,” Seiler said. “If you can keep the bats hot you can have 24 hits a game like we did. You’re going to be tough to beat no matter who you’re playing.”
PC 000 000 1 - 1 3 1
DSU 000 110 X - 2 5 0
PC Ryan Baldonado and Drew Sanders. DSU Eric Seiler and Tyler Czech.
W–Seiler. L–Baldonado. HR–None.
Highlights: PC Baldonado 1 for 3, RBI; Adam Lambert run. DSU Jordan Tescher 1 for 1, (2)BB, run, RBI; Landon Briscoe 1 for 2, run; Jeff VanCleave 1 for 3, RBI.
PC 009 001 000 - 10 13 8
DSU 220 202 43X - 15 24 13
PC Jared Ayres, Ryan Wolf (2), Brandt Martinez (7), Alex Lunneborg (7), Emilio Griego (8) and Drew Sanders. DSU Joey Buchanan, Jonathan Koessl (3), Taylor Pogroszewski (7) and Ryan Risse.
W–Pogroszewski . L–Martinez. HR–PC Jesse Spangler.
Highlights: PC Spangler 2 for 4, HR, 3 RBI, run; Johnnie Morris 2 for 5, 2 runs, RBI; Sanders 1 for 4, 2 RBI, run; Josh Youngchild 1 for 5, run, RBI. DSU Eric Seiler 5 for 6, 5 RBI, 3 runs; Jacob Hignite 5 for 6, 5 RBI, run; Landon Briscoe 2 for 5, 2 runs, RBI; Dylan Skabo 4 for 5, 3 runs; Jordan Tescher 3 for 4, BB, 4 runs, RBI, Jeff VanCleave 2 for 6, 2 RBI.