TUCSON, ARIZ. – The Valley City State softball team racked up 18 runs and 27 hits on Monday in Tucson, finishing with a split including a victory over Cottey College.
VCSU took a 7-1 win over Cottey College and went to 9 innings with St. Clair but ultimately fell 13-11. The Vikings are now 6-12 overall this season.
The Vikings have a day off on Tuesday and will close out the Tucson Invitational Games on Wednesday, March 15. VCSU will play Cottey College at 11 a.m. and Doane University at 1 p.m. CT. Live video and scoring will be available for both games.
VCSU 7, Cottey 1
Andrea Rodriguez went 3-for-4 at the plate – including a three-run double – to drive in four of VCSU's runs as the Vikings defeated Cottey College 7-1.
Ashlynne Copinga added two hits and two RBIs, and
Marissa Hawkins went 4-for-4 with a double for VCSU. The Vikings totaled 12 hits in the game.
The Vikings took a 2-0 lead in the second inning with a pair of RBI singles from Rodriguez and Copinga. VCSU added a run on
Riley Perryman's RBI double in the fourth inning and scored four more runs in the fifth, highlighted by Rodriguez's three-run double.
Joelle Lamontagne pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts on the day. She allowed one run on seven hits and walked one.
Lacey Cruz got the loss for Cottey after 5 innings in the circle, allowing seven runs on 11 hits and striking out eight. Aariana Castillo went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Comets.
St. Clair 13, VCSU 11 (9 innings)
The Vikings then erased a 7-0 deficit against St. Clair, scoring seven runs in the seventh inning to hold a 7-7 tie to head to extra innings in the second game of the day. VCSU's seventh inning rally saw RBI singles from
Brooke Gaudry,
Ashlynne Copinga, and
Makenzee Stone, while
Marissa Hawkins added a two-run double.
Each team posted three runs in the eighth inning to hold a 10-10 tie, and St. Clair added three in the top of the ninth to lead 13-10.
Saige Forseth's RBI double helped the Vikings close the gap, but fell short in extra innings, 13-11.
The Vikings finished with 15 hits on the day, led by
Ashlyn Diemert who went 4-for-5 in the game. Crocker and Hawkins added two hits apiece while Hawkins and
Ashlynne Copinga drove in three runs each.
Hawkins started in the circle for VCSU and allowed seven runs on seven hits over 4 and 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking five. Gaudry got the loss after pitching 4 and 1/3 innings in relief. She allowed four runs on six hits while walking four and striking out four.
Amy Claydon led things off in the circle for St. Clair Saints. The pitcher lasted 7 and 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and two runs while striking out two. Rya Cowan got the win, working 1 and 1/3 innings for the Saints. St. Clair totaled 13 hits in the game, led by Shae-lyn Murphy who went 3-for-4 for St. Clair.
