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Blue Hawks post fantastic comeback finish over Waldorf University

gaylon wm. parker and press staff, the dickinson press, n.d.
·5 min read

Apr. 6—DICKINSON — The Dickinson State University Blue Hawks might have fallen behind, 10-2, in the early stages of the second half of a Friday-night twin-bill, but that couldn't stop them from coming from behind and taking a sweep over Waldorf University on April 5, 2024 and winning Game 2 in a 13-11 thriller that defied not-only the odds, but the 40-mph winds that weighed heavily on both teams throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Allison Eldridge took the win in the nightcap, while Dallis Mitchell fanned 3 in the opener and scattered 7 hits while walking 3 to earn her sixth win of the season.

"That's the best she's pitched all year (Eldridge) and it was good to see here get some good, quality innings," DSU head softball coach Kristen Fleury said. "She came on in the fourth inning when we were down 10-2 and really shut them down."

After Waldorf University piled up 3 runs in the first inning, 4 more in the second and another 3 in the third inning of Friday's doubleheader, the Blue Hawks kept chipping away at the lead and eventually broke loose with a 7-run fourth inning that saw 12 batters come to the plate and tied the game at 10-apiece en route to the win. Eldridge came on in relief and proved to be a huge difference-maker in the middle-innings, settling the team down with four frames of solid work while striking out 4 and holding the visitors to only 1 earned run down the stretch.

"(Eldridge) did a great job coming in and we're proud of her and hope she can continue to grow off this performance," Fleury said.

The breakout inning saw Jessa Duggan single Kara Conway home to get things kicked off, then Duggan was plated on a HaiLeigh Davis double before Davis herself was brought home on a Cassy Loa triple that bounced off the wall in right field. The thrills weren't over as Game-1 pitching heroine Mitchell laced a single to left and scored Loa before Hubby doubled Mitchell in with a line-shot to center field and then Hubby was brought round home on a single from Bailey Hansen. The game became knotted at 10-apiece when Cassidy Venner brought Karissa Comer across the plate to close out a crowd-pleasing fourth inning.

"We talk about if we can score a run in every single inning and keep chipping away; it doesn't have to be a big inning, and those big innings will come," Fleury said. "When you go down, 10-2, it puts you in a situation where you can't do a lot — you can't really bunt for outs and move runners over into scoring position and situational stuff — but the kids did a great job."

From there, Eldridge took over and kept the Warriors on a short leash, and despite Waldorf University taking a slim, 11-10 lead in the top of the fifth, DSU again tied the score as a Hubby double brought Mitchell home after she had singled to left, then in the crucial penultimate inning pinch-runner Alexis Kappel scored on an error before Davis doubled home Duggan, who had reached first on a single and advanced into scoring position on the throw to put the exclamation-point on the night.

Mitchell and Hubby each had 3-hit nights, with Mitchell scoring twice and driving in a run and Hubby adding to the Warriors' misery with a pair of RBI and a run-scored. Davis also had a pair of RBI on a 2-for-4 performance while Loa came across the plate thrice to pace DSU, who saw 6 stolen bases in the form of 2 for Mitchell and one-each from Davis, Ashlee Potter, Venner and Duggan. The extra-base hits on the evening came from Davis, who reached second twice, and Hubby's 3 two-baggers, while Loa and Conway each tripled.

The opener proved to not be nearly as nail-bitingly exciting as the nightcap, but was no-less tense, as Mitchell was on cruise-control throughout the afternoon. The Warriors managed only 3 extra-base hits and 1 run as Mitchell wore the Warriors down with metronomic pitching and her team backed her up with flawless fielding throughout the first contest in the series.

The Blue Hawks earned all the runs they would need in the first inning as Hubby singled home Davis and was then brought across the plate on a Hansen double to center field that also plated Comer. Jai Maddox-Hernandez came home on an error in the second inning to add some cushion to Mitchell's lead and Potter also scored on an error in the fourth as part of a 4-error afternoon for the Warriors.

Hubby went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while Hansen's 2-run double joined Mitchell's two-bagger in the extra-base-hit department. Davis and Maddox-Hernandez each stole a base, and while DSU was outhit 7-6, the Blue Hawks made the at-bats count in the opener.

Next-up for the Blue Hawks will be a return visit from Waldorf University in a doubleheader that begins Saturday, April 6 at Sanford Sports Complex at noon.

For more information about Dickinson State athletics, please visit

https://www.dsubluehawks.com/landing/index

or simply keep reading your Dickinson Press.