MITCHELL, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan fell in both games of a doubleheader against Morningside, 11-1 and 12-8. Caleb Meyers homered in each game, while Ean Laird added a three-run shot in Game 2. Despite a 15-hit effort in the second game, the Tigers couldn’t overcome early deficits.
Game 1: Dakota Wesleyan 1, Morningside (Iowa) 11
Dakota Wesleyan dropped game one of the doubleheader 11-1 to Morningside at Drake Field. Morningside scored five runs in the first two innings and added another in the fifth, totaling 11 runs on nine hits. Dakota Wesleyan’s only run came in the third inning on a solo home run by Caleb Meyers, who finished 3-for-3 with all three of the team’s hits against Morningside starter Kai Purdy-Burton.
The Tigers used two pitchers in the game. Alexander Mizsak started and went 4.0 innings, allowing nine hits, 11 runs (10 earned), five walks, and three strikeouts. He also gave up five home runs. Nathaniel Huisken pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing no hits or runs, with one walk and three strikeouts over 39 pitches.
Offensively, Dakota Wesleyan totaled six hits and drew five walks. In addition to Meyers’ three hits, Tommy Dutton, Mason Riley, and Carter Brown each added one. The team left seven runners on base and struck out five times. Defensively, the Tigers committed two errors—one by Tharaldson and one by Payne—and turned no double plays.
Game 2: Dakota Wesleyan 8, Morningside (Iowa) 12
Despite a 12-8 loss to Morningside, Dakota Wesleyan’s offense produced 15 hits and stayed competitive throughout the game.. After trailing 6-0 in the early innings, the Tigers responded with four runs in the second and added another in the third to stay within one. A three-run seventh inning later brought them back within reach, but Morningside’s insurance runs in the ninth ultimately held off the comeback.
Dakota Wesleyan had several standout performances at the plate. Dexter Payne led the team with a 3-for-5 day, driving in three runs, including a two-run double. Caleb Meyers went 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, and two runs scored. Ean Laird added a three-run homer in the seventh, and Joseph Tharaldson contributed three hits and an RBI, while Diego Jirau also added three hits in a strong showing from the bottom of the order.
While the pitching staff allowed 12 runs on 12 hits, reliever Broc Berry provided a solid finish for the Tigers, tossing 4.0 innings with only three hits and two runs allowed and collecting six groundball outs. Offensively, Dakota Wesleyan outhit Morningside and showed the ability to produce runs in multiple innings, a promising takeaway as they move forward in GPAC play.
Up Next
The Tigers will travel to Madison, S.D., for a single-game matchup against Dakota State University, scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.