The Dakota County Technical College Blue Knights (16-16-1) baseball team split its doubleheader April 27with Ridgewater Community College, winning 7-5 in the opening contest, before losing 14-4.
Tony Rome turned in a solid pitching performance in the first game. While the Knights allowed three unearned runs in the second inning. However, Ridgewater returned the favor in the sixth as the Knights took advantage of two errors along with big hits to put four runs on the board and take a 7-5 lead.
Rome pitched six strong innings, scattering six hits and five runs (only two were earned) to get his third win of the year. Matt Mogan pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to get the save (his second). Jason Gergen was 3-3 in the game with a triple driving in two runs. Mike Krejci was 2-3 and scored twice. Steven Kleppen accounted for two runs on two sacrifice fly-outs, adding a double and two stolen bases.
“The ability to take advantage of mistakes was the key to winning game one,” said Coach Tim Huber.
The second game didn’t go quite as well, with the Knights going down 14-4 in the unseasonably cold April weather. Ridgewater plated nine runs in the second inning. The rest of the game held more of the same, with a DCTC error allowing two runs to score.
DCTC battled back to score four runs on only four hits, but couldn’t overcome the nine-run deficit following the second frame. Steve Kleppen collected two RBI in the game, and Gergen picked up his fourth hit of the day.
The Blue Knights victory was only the second league loss of the season for the 26-5 Ridgewater squad, an impressive feat for a young DCTC team.
“It was nice for our guys to beat a strong team like that,” Huber said.
Next up for the playoff-contending Knights are home doubleheaders against Riverland on Saturday and Rochesteron Sunday. Games start at 1 p.m. and will be played at Alimagnet Park in Burnsville, to mark the end of regular season play.
