The Dickinson State baseball team got a harsh lesson in consistency.
After opening North Star Athletic Association play with two wins Saturday, the Blue Hawks were ice cold Sunday - especially on defense.
Presentation College (S.D.) swept DSU in a doubleheader 8-7 and 8-7 to split the weekend series at Southside Ballpark and Astoria Field.
“We took things for granted and didn’t take care of opportunities that we had,” said DSU left fielder Jordan Tescher, who was named NSAA player of the week on Monday. “It’s too bad we have to learn this way by getting two losses at home we need to defend our turf and that’s most important.”
From fielding to pitching, DSU couldn’t get into a groove for most of the first game. Starting pitcher Chas Allen struggled with location in the zone and was pulled after three innings. DSU used three pitchers but none could get into a rhythm.
The Blue Hawks failed to convert two double plays, committed three errors and had several botched throws to allow runners to steal and advance.
“We didn’t show up today from the first pitch,” DSU head coach Jason Watson said. “Our pitching was inconsistent, we walked too many guys, we left the ball up and everything I said (Saturday) we can’t do, we ended up doing.”
Presentation built a 7-0 lead by the fifth inning, but the Blue Hawks put a big dent in their deficit with a five-run fifth.
Landon Briscoe started the scoring off with a RBI double and, on the next at bat, Ryan Mitchell scored when Dylan Skabo grounded out to first. Facing an 0-2 count, Tescher hit a two-run homer over the left-field fence and Seiler followed up with a solo home run.
DSU scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one-run game, 8-7, but the slow start would be too much for the Blue Hawks to overcome.
“We said it doesn’t matter how you win, you got to win and got to find a way and (Saturday) we just didn’t have that killer instinct and (Sunday) we responded from playing pretty bad and across the board we stepped up,” Presentation head coach Jesse Eikum said.
DSU’s bats woke up earlier in Game 2 as the team took a seemingly comfortable 7-3 lead by the end of the fifth. But, the Saints rebounded late to put the pressure on the Blue Hawks.
With Presentation down by one, 7-6, in the top of the seventh, right fielder Albert Castro hit the go-ahead two-run homer to left field that would seal the Saints’ victory.
Castro finished 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBI. Lane Hovde went 4 for 5 with three runs and two RBI, while Josh Youngchild and Ryan Baldonado scored two and one runs, respectively.
“It’s pretty big,” Castro said of the home run. “I had a rough two weeks - a couple of family losses - so I feel like the heavens are watching and sent me that message and they helped me out.”
Seiler, who came in to get the save, instead took the loss while Presentation reliever Alex Lunneborg picked up the win after giving up just one hit in 2 innings of work.
Tescher hit his second home run of the day, a three-run homer in the third, and finished with two runs and four RBI. Briscoe went 1 for 3 and scored two runs.
The Blue Hawks must take last weekend as a learning experience and quickly put it behind them to begin to prepare for its weekend series at Dakota State (S.D.).
The Blue Hawks and the Trojans will start their doubleheader at noon on Friday.
“It lights a fire, that’s for sure and what we needed,” Tescher said. “It’s going to light a fire and we’re already excited about next week and that’s what our focus is on now.”
PC 021 310 1 - 8 16 0
DSU 000 050 2 - 7 14 3
PC John Giove, Jake Bunjovac (5) and Drew Sanders. DSU Chas Allen, Matt Smith (4), Tyler Czech (5) and Ryan Risse. W–Giove. L–Allen. HR–DSU, Jordan Tescher, Eric Seiler.
Highlights: PC Lane Hovde 1 for 3, BB, 2 runs, RBI; Ryan Baldonado 3 for 5, 2 RBI, run, SB, 2B; Sanders 2 for 4, run, RBI; Jesse Spangler, 2 for 4, SB, run, RBI; JOsh Youngchild 1 for 2, run, RBI; Johnnie Morris 3 for 5, RBI. DSU Tescher 3 for 3, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBI, BB; Seiler 2 for 3, HR, run, RBI; Dylan Skabo 2 for 4, run, RBI; Landon Briscoe 1 for 4, run, RBI; Ryan Mitchell 2 for 3, run; John Hollingsworth 2 for 4, RBl; Caleb Burgard run.
PC 100 023 2 - 8 15 0
DSU 004 030 0 - 7 12 2
PC Connor Perry, Alex Lunneborg (5) and Curtis Summers. DSU Tony Roberts, Joey Buchanan (6), Eric Seiler (7) and Tyler Czech. W–Lunneborg. L–Seiler. HR–DSU, Jordan Tescher; PC Ryan Baldonado, Albert Castro.
Highlights: PC Lane Hovde 4 for 5, 3 runs, 2 RBI, Ryan Baldonado 3 for 4, HR, run, 2 RBI; Josh Youngchild 2 for 4, 2 runs; Albert Castro 2 for 4, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBI. DSU Tescher 2 for 4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 runs; Landon Briscoe 1 for 2, 2 runs; Dylan Skabo 2 for 3, 2B, run, RBI; Eric Seiler 1 for 4, run, RBI; Jacob Hignite 2 for 3, RBI; Caleb Burgard run.
