Blue Hawks take series from Viterbo 3-1, earn Fleury her 400th win

Sagan Osborne | Dickinson State Sports Information Director

DICKINSON, N.D. – It was a weekend of celebration as Dickinson State opened the Sanford Sports Complex, and Bravera Field with a bang as they won their four-game NSAA series, 3-1, over Viterbo. Sunday's win also marked the 400^th of long-time head coach Kristen Fleruy's career, putting a fitting exclamation mark on a weekend long coming for Dickinson State Softball.

GAME 1

A back-and-forth affair went the way of the Blue Hawks in the first game ever played on Bravera Field, as they erased a pair of one-run deficits to win, 3-2.

Viterbo jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Blue Hawks quickly had an answer in the home half. Rhea Paiva singled to left field to kick things off and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kara Conway. Paiva then moved over to third base on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from Hailey Enriquez to knot the score at 1-1.

The V-Hawks regained the lead in the third inning with another single run, and the score stayed 2-1 Viterbo until the fifth inning. Much like the first inning, Bailey Pepper singled to get things started, was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored two batters later on an RBI single from Conway.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Blue Hawks took advantage of some defensive miscues from Viterbo to gain their first lead. Enriquez advanced to second base on an error before scoring when a sacrifice bunt attempt by Dallis Mitchell was thrown away allowing both runners to advance an extra base, giving DSU the 3-2 lead.

Mitchell retired the side in order in the seventh inning to earn the win after going 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.

GAME 2

Dallis Mitchell continued her strong work in the circle, throwing 6 scoreless innings allowing just 4 hits and two walks as DSU cruised to an 8-0 game two win.

Bailey Pepper got the scoring started in the second inning with a two-RBI double that scored Emma Woodworth and Cassidy Venner to make it 2-0 DSU. A sacrifice fly by Enriquez in the third made it 3-0 Blue Hawks.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Venner blasted a one-out home run over the left field fence for the first home run at Bravera Field, making it 4-0 DSU heading into the fifth inning. The Blue Hawks pushed across four more runs across the fifth and sixth innings to trigger the mercy rule and end the game after six innings.

GAME 3

The Blue Hawks held the led for most of the game, but a late home run gave Viterbo the 6-5 win in game three.

After the V-Hawks scored a run in the top of the first inning, the Blue Hawks pushed across two in the bottom half of the inning on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. Ari Martinez extended the DSU lead to 4-1 when she homered to center field, scoring Conway who reached on a single to start the inning.

In the top of the fourth inning, Viterbo was able to tie the score at 4-4 when they pushed across three runs on just two hits and two walks. Rhea Paiva quickly got DSU the lead back in the bottom of the fifth inning when she doubled and advanced to third on an error before scoring on a wild pitch one batter later to make it 5-4 DSU. Unfortunately for the home team, the lead would not hold as Viterbo scored single runs in each of the last two innings to steal the game three win.

GAME 4

Ari Martinez twirled a gem for the Blue Hawks in the circle, going all 7 innings and allowing no runs on seven hits, while striking out 5 and walking none, as DSU won 3-0 to take the weekend series.

Neither team could get anything going offensively until a three-run outburst by DSU in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out and a runner on second base, Dallis Mitchell tripled to center field before Cassidy Venner homered to deep left center field for the final margin.

The win was the 400^th career win for head coach Kristen Fleury who has led the program since the 2009-2010 season.