VALLEY CITY – After 18 straight road games to start the spring season, the Valley City State baseball team was finally able to play at home Friday.
The Vikings opened their home schedule at Charlie Brown Field with a doubleheader split against Viterbo University, dropping game one 6-3 in extra innings but rallying back with an 8-1 win in game two behind a strong pitching performance by sophomore Brooks Brown.
Brown pitched a 7-inning complete game for the Vikings, scattering six hits and allowing just one run. The right-hander struck out nine batters en route to his first career victory on the mound.
Game one was scheduled for nine innings but went to 11 innings as Viterbo scored three runs in their half of the 11th to pick up a 6-3 victory.
Valley City State is now 13-15 overall and 4-6 in the North Star Athletic Association. Viterbo is now 8-22 overall and 1-9 in the NSAA.
Up next: The Vikings and V-Hawks will play another conference doubleheader Saturday in Valley City. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. from Charlie Brown Field.
GAME 1: Viterbo 6, VCSU 3 (11 innings)
Three straight RBI doubles led to three runs in the 11th inning as Viterbo earned the road victory in game one. After Zach Braun led off the 11th with a double for Viterbo, Kendal Hofer, Blake Warner and Marcus Hornacek all followed with run-scoring doubles to give the V-Hawks the lead and eventual victory.
Valley City State trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, but took the lead on a 2-run home run by senior David Demeter – his seventh blast of the season.
The lead did not last long though as Viterbo's Keaton Westhoff led off the top of the ninth with a game-tying solo home run. Valley City State had its best chance to win the game in the 10th inning after Jett Salonek reached on an error and moved to third with nobody out. Viterbo pitcher Alec Danen was able to work out of the jam though, getting a strikeout, pop out and ground out to end the threat.
Danen earned the win after pitching three scoreless innings in relief for Viterbo. Kyle Gilbertson started for the V-Hawks and worked eight innings, allowing six hits and three runs. Gilbertson struck out seven and walked one.
Chase Feller had a strong start for the Vikings on the mound. The senior right-hander went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out 11 Viterbo batters. Jace Hanson, Marcus Niemann and Brown all pitched in relief. Niemann took the loss after working 2 1/3 innings.
VCSU finished with six hits, including two hits and two runs by Jayden Shipman. Demeter, Drew Nixon, Avery Bennefeld and Salonek all had one hit each.
Viterbo totaled 10 hits in the victory, including two each by Hofer, Horanacek and Westhoff.
GAME 2: VCSU 8, Viterbo 1
After pitching the final 2/3 of an inning in game one, VCSU's Brook Brown stayed on the mound to start game two and went the distance. Brown struck out nine batters, gave up just one run and scattered six hits during his complete-game performance.
The Viking offense came alive as well with eight runs on nine hits – including five extra-base hits – in the victory. Tied 1-1 in the fourth inning, Valley City State took the lead with a 3-run rally. After Ryan Reynolds reached base on a third strike wild pitch, Jaden Babiuk delivered a go-ahead RBI triple for VCSU. Zach Veneman followed with a 2-run home run over the left-center fence, putting the Vikings ahead 4-1.
The Vikings tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning and one in the sixth en route to the 8-1 victory.
Veneman went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs to lead the Vikings. Shipman continued to hit the ball well as he went 3-for-4 with a double and a run. Demeter, Nixon, Chase Feller and Babiuk all had one hit each.
Viterbo's Blake Warner had a pair of hits to lead the offense. Four different V-Hawks pitched with Ben Strassman taking the loss.
