DICKINSON, N.D. -- Jake Lacey's sixth inning home run broke up a pitcher's duel to fuel top-seeded and No. 5 Bellevue University to a 7-3 win over Dickinson State University on day two of the 2023 North Star Athletic Association Tournament.
Bellevue improves to 43-8 to remain in the winner's bracket while Dickinson State slides to 21-27 and falls into the elimination bracket.
Bellevue 7, Dickinson State 3
Bellevue pitching racked up 11 strikeouts and the offense took advantage of four Blue Hawks errors to capitalize on their chances.
Brannan Hogan and Dustin Schorie, after each allowing a pair of runs in the first two innings, settled into a groove as neither team scored again until the sixth.
After a leadoff error in the inning, Jake Lacey ripped a two-run home run to left to put the Bruins in front 4-2 to back Schorie's quality start.
Cade Ostenson got one of the runs back for DSU with a ground ball to score Dawson Cortese who had doubled leading off the bottom of the sixth.
Logan Grant blasted a two-run home run in the seventh after Drew Staley reached on a one-out error to see BU doubled up 6-3. Later in the inning Mathieu Sirois singled home Anthony Lind with two outs after a single and an error put Lind on second.
Schorie departed having struck out eight over seven strong innings of work to improve to 8-0 on the year. He scattered six hits and allowed three runs.
Kenji Miller struck out three batters in relief to as he recorded the final six outs to preserve the win.
Dickinson put their leadoff runner on in the eighth and saw a couple base-runners reach in the ninth but Miller worked out of trouble, getting Kobe Krenz to hit a tapper back at him to end the game.
Up Next:
Bellevue faces the winner of Waldorf-Dakota State tomorrow at 5 p.m. with a spot in the 2023 NSAA Title Game on the line.
Dickinson State plays Valley City State tomorrow at 10 a.m. in an elimination game.
