MANDAN, ND (NorthernSun.org) – The Augustana baseball team defeated the Wayne State Wildcats 6-5 in game one of the NSIC Tournament. The Vikings improve to 40-16 overall with the victory and move on in the winner’s bracket. WSC falls to 24-25 overall and faces elimination in the upcoming matchups of the tournament.
In addition, Augustana is ranked sixth in the latest central region rankings announced Wednesday.
Wayne State was the first team on the board in the nine-inning affair following a single that plated one run in the third inning.
Drey Dirksen started Augustana’s scoring with a solo shot to left in the three-run fourth inning. Dirksen’s homer was his 14th of the season and got the Vikings on the board with their first run. Later in the inning, a two-run bomb from Luke Ballweg sent Ragan Pinnow in to score.
AU’s fourth run of the game was generated by Parker Mooney’s solo shot to right field.
In the bottom of the eighth, Dirksen slapped a single to right field to score Jack Hines, pushing AU ahead 5-2. With the bases loaded, Ballweg drove in another run, scoring Dirksen.
The Wildcats posted a late rally in the ninth inning with a grand slam that brought the score to 6-5, but the Vikings were able to hold them off and capture the win.
At the plate, Dirksen and Nick Banowetz logged two hits apiece while Dirksen, Mooney and Ballweg recorded one home run each.
Seth Miller got the start on the mound for the Vikings, pitching 7.1 innings and striking out nine batters. Ashton Michek took over for Miller in the top of the eighth and tossed 1.1 innings, recording one strikeout. Adam Diedrich earned his 12th save of the season, moving into the top spot in the nation for single season saves.
For the fourth time in program history, the Viking pitching staff surpassed 500 strikeouts. Augustana entered the game with 496 strikeouts and with 10 in today’s win, AU has logged 506 strikeouts this season.
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BISMARCK, ND (scsuhuskies.com)– St. Cloud State Baseball (29-17, 20-10 NSIC) used a strong start from righthander Riley Ahern coupled with a string of clutch hitting to dispatch Southwest Minnesota State (27-16, 19-13 NSIC) 10-3 in the Opening Round of the 2023 NSIC Tournament on Wednesday afternoon in Bismarck. With the win, the Huskies advance to a quarterfinal matchup with top seed Augustana on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. CT.
Riley Ahern dealt over 5.0 innings of two-run ball to earn his seventh win of the season, scattering seven hits while walking none and striking out five. The righthander fired 60 strikes on 85 pitches, gutting through traffic early by turning a pair of key double plays.
The SCSU lineup opened the scoring early as John Nett (1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB) drew a leadoff walk then Sawyer Smith (1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R) singled and Ben Clapp (0-for-3, BB) walked to fill the bases with one away. Following a popout, Brayden Jacobson (1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) laced a two-run double into left center.
Sam Riola (3-for-5, R, 2 RBI) singled in a third run an inning later after Tate Wallat (1-for-2, BB, 2 R) walked, moved to second on a Mitchell Gumbko (2-for-3, R, SB) sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a Nett groundout. The Huskies pushed it to 4-0 in the fourth as Noah Dehne (1-for-2, R, 2B) doubled, moved to second on a Gumbko single then scored on an errant throw as the latter swiped second.
SMSU cut their deficit to two with a two-run homer in the fifth. Drew Beier took over for the Huskies in the sixth and recorded his first hold of the season after firing 3.0 frames of two-hit ball, allowing one run while walking one and punching out four.
The Huskies made it 5-2 in the seventh as Riola scored on a wild pitch. Southwest responded with a solo shot in the top of the eighth then worked a one-out walk to put the tying run at the plate. After Beier induced a popout, Gumbko ended the inning with an incredible diving play down the left field line.
St. Cloud State blew the game open with a five-run fifth sparked by a two-run Nett single and RBI knocks from Riola and Kevin Butler (1-for-1, RBI).
Cooper Avery closed things out with a scoreless ninth, working around a lone infield single.
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BISMARCK, ND (goldeneaglesports.com) – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team used a grand slam from Josh Dykhoff (Fr., RHP/1B, Wadena, Minn.) to defeat Minot State University 7-3 to open the NSIC Baseball Tournament Wednesday, May 10 at Bismarck Municipal Stadium in Bismarck, N.D. Josh Dykhoff aided his brother Jake Dykhoff (R-Sr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.) tied his school-record 14 strikeouts with the complete game win.
Minnesota Crookston improved to 37-18 with the victory. Minot State dropped to 29-18. The Golden Eagles have beaten the Beavers in their first game of the NSIC Tournament their last two appearances (2021, 2023). The Golden Eagles remain in the winner’s bracket and will play Minnesota State University at 2:30 p.m., at Veterans Memorial Stadium – BNC Field in Mandan, N.D. Minot State will play an elimination game Thursday, May 11 at 11 a.m. in Bismarck, N.D.
Dykhoff improved to 8-4 with the win, after allowing just three runs on six hits. He struck out 14 tying his school record that she shares with Jayden Grover. Jake Dykhoff had no walks in the game, as well.
Bryant Bagshaw suffered the loss after allowing seven runs on six hits in 5.2 innings. Bagshaw struck out four and walked seven.
The Golden Eagles were led by Sawyer Satrom (R-Fr., IF, Portland, N.D.), who went 3-of-4 with one run scored and one RBI. Josh Dykoff was 1-of-3, with four RBIs and two runs scored. Mike Hallquist (Jr., 3B, Fargo, N.D.) was 1-of-4, with an RBI and two runs scored.
After securing the first two outs of the game, Gunnar Kozlowitz hit a solo shot near the scoreboard in left center to give the Beavers a 1-0 advantage.
Minnesota Crookston countered with back-to-back home runs from Danny Wensloff (Jr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.) and Hallquist to push the advantage to 2-1. Satrom kept the inning alive with a single up the middle to plate Josh Dykhoff and widen the gap to 3-1.The Beavers got out of a bases-loaded situation to keep the score at 3-1.
Jake Dykhoff pitched his second immaculate inning of the season in the top of the second to keep the Beavers at bay 3-1. Jake Dykhoff mowed down the order again in the top of the third.
The Beavers scored in the fourth with a Javier Gutierrez single to score Matt Malone and cut the deficit to 3-2.
Minot State put two on in the fifth using a Dalin Ludlow single. They tied it up with a Shane Kary groundout to score Ludlow and knot it at 3-3. Jake Dykhoff struck out Riddle to keep the score tied at 3-3.
Dykhoff retired the Minot State Beavers in order in the top of the sixth to keep the tally at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
The Golden Eagles put two on in the bottom of the sixth with Satrom’s third hit of the game, and a walk offered to Nunn. Danny Wensloff moved the runners over with a groundout to third. Bagshaw walked NSIC Newcomer of the Year Hallquist to load the bases with two outs. Josh Dykhoff connected on a first-pitch grand slam to push the Minnesota Crookston lead to 7-3 and end the night for Bagshaw. Bagshaw reached 120 pitches in the game. Dominick Parkhurst got the final out of the inning but not before Dykhoff put the Golden Eagles ahead 7-3.
Dykhoff struck out the side in the top of the seventh to keep the Minnesota Crookston lead at 7-3. Jonah Prokott matched Dykhoff, retiring the Golden Eagles in order in the Golden Eagle half of the inning.
The Beavers got a Beaver in scoring position, but Dykhoff tied his career high with his 14th strikeout of the game, retiring Derek Kay.
Dykhoff came out in the top of the ninth and took Minot State down in order to preserve the 7-3 win.
Minnesota Crookston returns to action in the second round against Minnesota State Thursday, May 11 at 2:30 p.m. in Mandan, N.D.
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MANDAN, ND (msumavericks.com) — Minnesota State (36-13, 25-8 NSIC) pummeled Winona State (22-28, 18-16 NSIC) to advance to the winner’s bracket in the NSIC tournament by a 10-1 final Wednesday evening at BNC Field.
The Mavericks set the tone in the first off three singles resulting in an RBI single for junior Mikey Gottschalk to give the Mavericks the early lead.
In the Mavericks half of the second, junior Adam Schneider launched his third solo home run on the season extending the Mavericks lead by two.
The Mavericks would add two more runs off home runs from juniors Hunter Ranweiler in the fourth and Jackson Hauge in the fifth giving the Mavericks the 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, juniors Ryan Wickman and Jackson Hauge led off the inning with two singles while advancing to third and second on freshman Louis Magers intentional walk.
The warrior wanted to face junior Nick Baker who was determined to stay patient working a six-pitch walk driving in Hauge.
The next batter, junior Adam Schneider made them pay by ripping a double to right center, scoring two and increasing the lead to six runs.
In the Mavericks half of the eighth, freshman Matthew Fleischhacker led off the inning with a six-pitch walk later advancing to third on sophomore Aidan Byrne‘s walk and a wild pitch. Junior Jackson Hauge then launched his second homer of the night and 11th on the season to put the game out of reach.
Junior Nathan Culley (7-3) got the win after allowing only one run on two hits while accumulating six strikeouts on the night.
Kyle Gendron (3-1) was tagged with the loss surrendering four runs on nine hits.