VALLEY CITY – The Valley City State softball team swept Presentation in Saturday's doubleheader, outscoring the Saints 21-0 over just 11 innings.
Viking pitchers Amber Stewart and Emily Smith allowed just three hits in Saturday's shutout. Valley City State improves to 30-5 overall this season and 23-2 in the NSAA. Presentation drops to 7-30 overall and 6-19 in the conference.
The Vikings conclude the conference season on Sunday against the Saints in another doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Valley City State will recognize its graduating seniors between Sunday's games for Senior Day.
VCSU 9, PC 0 (6 innings)
The Vikings put up five runs with two outs in the sixth inning to finish the first game of Saturday's doubleheader by mercy rule. Jessica Husband opened the two-out rally with a single, followed by a double from Joelle Aiello to deep right field. Husband scored on an off-target throw to the infield, and Aiello advanced to third. Gest then walked and stole a base to put runners on second and third. A Presentation error allowed Marissa Hawkins to reach base and Aiello to score. Makenzee Stone then came up to hit a three-run homer over the left-field fence to put the Vikings ahead 9-0 and end the game. 
Autumn Perry went 2-for-3 at the plate, including a solo home run in the fourth. Husband also went 2-for-3 and added a run for the Vikings. Perry, Joelle Aiello and Anne-Elise Gest each scored two runs for VCSU. Stone finished with four RBIs, while Hawkins, Perry and Husband added one RBI each.
Amber Stewart pitched a complete game for her fourth shutout of the season, allowing just two hits in six innings. She didn't walk a single batter and struck out four.
Yulissa Pena got the loss in the circle for Presentation, allowing four earned runs on eight hits. She walked four batters and struck out two. Pena and Hannah Larson each tallied a hit for the Saints.
VCSU 12, PC 0 (5 innings)
Emily Smith allowed just one hit in a 12-0 shutout of the Saints in Saturday's second game, collecting her 18th win and sixth shutout of the season. She struck out eight batters and walked just one.
Anne-Elise Gest's two-run homer opened the Vikings' seven-run first inning to take a commanding lead. A sac fly from Andrea Rodriguez and an RBI single from Jessica Husband added a pair of runs for the Vikings in the second. Riley Perryman then added a two-run single in the third, and Autumn Perry's sac fly scored Makenzee Stone to round out scoring for VCSU.
Perryman went 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in three. Gest, Husband and Sierra Crocker each went 2-for-3 in the game while Gest contributed two runs and three RBIs.
Lauren Paredes got the loss for the Saints, allowing eight earned runs on nine hits while walking three batters. Yulissa Pena recorded Presentation's only hit of the game.
