BELLEVUE, NEB. – The Valley City State baseball team battled to the end Sunday against the No. 11 ranked team in the country. The Vikings held a 4-2 lead heading into the fifth inning of its series finale at nationally-ranked Bellevue University, but the Bruins rallied in the late innings to edge the Vikings, 5-4.
Bellevue also won game one on Sunday, 14-1, and completed a four-game series sweep.
Valley City State drops to 12-14 overall and 3-5 in conference play. Bellevue improves to 21-7 overall and 8-0 in the conference.
Up next: Valley City State is scheduled to host Viterbo University for a four-game series on April 2 and 3.
Bellevue 14, VCSU 1 (7 innings)
The Vikings were held to four hits and one run in Sunday's first game as Bellevue won 14-1 in seven innings. The Bruins totaled 18 hits in the game, and both teams committed just one error.
Valley City State scored in its first at bat, taking a 1-0 lead after Dustin Mertz walked, stole second and later scored on Drew Nixon's RBI single.
Bellevue answered by scoring in six of its seven at bats, showing why it's one of the top teams in the country.
Nixon, Chase Feller, Carter Dodd and Jayden Shipman had VCSU's four hits. Zach Veneman started on the mound for VCSU and went four innings, allowing 10 hits and seven runs. Adam Thompson and Will Hlady both pitched in relief.
Bellevue 5, VCSU 4
Valley City State scored all four of its runs in the top of the fourth inning, taking a 4-2 lead on the nationally-ranked Bruins.
Bellevue eventually tied the game with a pair of runs in the fifth inning, and then scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth en route to the slim 5-4 win. Two of Bellevue's final three runs scored on sacrifice bunts.
Reed Butz pitched a complete game for VCSU, scattering five hits and five runs over his six innings. He walked four and struck out eight.
Trailing 2-0, the Vikings loaded the bases with the first three batters in the top of the fourth inning. Christian Ramirez drove home the first run with a sacrifice fly, and then freshman Hunter Magnuson hit a two-out, three-run home run to put the Vikings ahead 4-2.
The Vikings finished with seven total hits, including two each by Mertz and Drew Nixon. Ryan Reynolds and Jayden Shipman each singled, and Magnuson had the big hit with his 3-run home run.
