DICKSINSON, N.D. - The Simpson baseball team kicked off play today in the North Star Athletic Association conference tournament as they took on Dakota State. 

The Red Hawks drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning as All-Conference backstop Jaxon Hotta came through with a clutch two-run single.

The Trojans got one back in the top of the second inning on a big fly. But Simpson answered back in the bottom half of the inning as they plated four runs to take the 6-1 lead. 

Dylan Leek worked a two-out walk that sparked a four-run rally as Mario Catalan singled to put two runners aboard followed by an RBI single into right field by Dominic Folks. 

All-Conference third baseman Cayden Lee had the big swing of the inning as he belted a three-run blast to center field. 

But the Trojans scored a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings to make it a one-run ball game. 

Simpson added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Leek and another run in the bottom of the sixth inning on Lee's second long ball of the day. 

Starter Gage Hoyle fired 5.2 innings of five-run ball as he allowed just three earned runs while striking out four Trojans before handing the ball to reliever Geremy McCollough. 

A leadoff home run by Leek to begin the bottom of the eighth inning extended Simpson's lead to 9-5. 

The combined efforts of McCollough, Ruben Lujan, and Logan Boenker closed out the final 3.1 innings of work as they allowed just one Trojan base runner. 

Leek led the Simpson bats with a perfect four-for-four day while Lee notched a three-hit game to go along with two long balls and four RBIs. 

Hoyle picked up his eighth win of the year as he improved to 8-1 on the year. 

With the win, Simpson moves into the winner's bracket as they are set to play #1 seed Bellevue tomorrow. 
 

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