TUCSON, Ariz. – Warmer weather and brighter skies set the scene for the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball program as DWU kicked off a stretch of neutral-site games beginning with NCAA Division II foe Southwestern Minnesota State University on Sunday afternoon from the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz. Dakota Wesleyan rattled off 10 runs in the first two frames while senior left-handed pitcher Matt Bezdicek worked an impressive six innings on the mound for the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
From the first pitch, the Tiger (2-2) offense clicked on all cylinders beginning in the top of the first inning. Carter Gullickson and Bezdicek notched back-to-back singles followed by a double to right center off the bat of Daulton Wilcoxen who continues his hot momentum at the plate. The extra-base knock drove in a pair of RBIs as the Dakota Wesleyan infielder finished the afternoon 2-of-4 from the plate, and the Blue and Gray held the 2-0 advantage just four hitters into the contest.
Wyatt Hunt extended the fast start with a knock down the right field line and scored the final run of the stanza on a hit by Seth Christiansen. DWU racked up four runs on five hits in the opening inning in spite of stranding two baserunners and led 4-0.
With the early benefit, Bezdicek, the 6-foot-4 native of Plymouth, Minn. went to work on the mound in the bottom of the first frame. Southwestern Minnesota State responded with a run of its own thanks to two hits, yet the Dakota Wesleyan defense escaped the inning with the three-run, 4-1 advantage.
Cameron Quigley initiated the second trip through the lineup in the second inning with a four-pitch walk before another Tiger double this time from Bezdicek. In spite of just two extra-base hits in the winning affair, the DWU offense registered 12 hits including a single through the right side by infielder Luke LeMay. Kalub Carmichael also reached in the frame thanks to a full-count base-on balls with the bases loaded, and DWU blew the game wide open, 10-1, after two innings of action.
Bezdicek and the Tiger defense surrendered just three Mustang (2-4) hits over the next three innings while Quigley added the final DWU run in the top of the fourth frame. Bezdicek, who relinquished just five hits and struck out eight SMSU hitters in six innings of work, paced head coach Charlie Dubanoski and Dakota Wesleyan to the 11-1 edge as the game reached the final inning.
Kyler Halverson entered the game and took the mound in the bottom of the seventh stanza and recorded the final three outs for the double-digit Dakota Wesleyan victory. Wilcoxen and Quigley combined for five RBIs as six different DWU hitters registered both an RBI and run scored.
UP NEXT
Bezdicek and the Tigers return to the diamond for a neutral-site doubleheader versus Northland College scheduled for 11 a.m. (10 a.m.) MST tomorrow from the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz.