MINOT, N.D. – The Valley City State softball team opened its conference season with a split against Dickinson State. The Vikings fell 7-6 in the first game and then erupted for a 14-2 victory in five innings in game two.
VCSU totaled 20 runs and 24 hits to open conference play, highlighted by a three-run homer from senior
Sierra Crocker. The Vikings added six doubles as a team Saturday.
The Vikings are now 7-15 on the season and open conference play with a 1-1 record. Dickinson State moves to 6-15 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
The series between VCSU and Dickinson State concludes on Sunday with one game scheduled for 8 a.m. at the Minot State Dome.
Dickinson 7, VCSU 6
Dickinson State defeated the Vikings after a fifth inning battle with the Blue Hawks coming out on top.
The Blue Hawks opened with a 2-0 lead after two innings and
Riley Perryman would cut the deficit in half in the top of the third with an RBI single, scoring
Andrea Rodriguez.
VCSU added five more runs in the fifth inning on a two-run single by
Alyssa DePoorter and a three-run homer from
Sierra Crocker.
Dickinson took back the lead with five runs of its own in the bottom of the inning, including RBI singles from Dallis Mitchell, Arjana Eilers and Rhea Pavia. The Vikings fell short in the final two innings to open the conference season with a 7-6 loss.
Joelle Lamontagne started for VCSU and worked 4 and 2/3 innings. She allowed all seven runs on nine hits, walked five and struck out two.
Maddy Zander pitched 1 and 1/3 innings in relief, walked two and struck out one.
Dickinson's Arjana Eilers got the win, pitching 2 and 2/3 relief innings. She did not give up a single run, allowed just three hits and struck out one. Dallis Mitchell started for the Blue Hawks and allowed six runs on six hits while walking three and striking out three.
Pavia led the Blue Hawks at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Dallis Mitchell added two hits and scored two runs.
VCSU 14, Dickinson 2 (5 innings)
VCSU took the second game in just five innings as the Vikings exploded for 14 runs on 15 hits – including six doubles – in the game. The Vikings commanded a 4-0 lead after the first inning and scored five more runs in each of the third and fourth innings to round out scoring in the 14-2 victory decided by run rule.
Ashlyn Diemert was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of two-run doubles and totaled five RBIs in the game. Also doubling in the game included
Riley Perryman,
Makenzee Stone,
Alyssa DePoorter and
Andrea Rodriguez.
Perryman, Stone, Crocker, Rodriguez and
Marissa Hawkins each added two hits in the game, and Crocker drove in three runs while Hawkins scored three.
Maddy Zander got the win for VCSU after starting the game and working 3 complete innings. She allowed just one run on one hit, walked four and struck out two. Hawkins tossed 2 innings in relief and allowed one run on three hits. She struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Dickinson's Ari Martinez got the loss, pitching 2 innings and allowing nine runs on nine hits. She walked two and struck out two. Hope Fath and Arjana Eilers each made a relief appearance for the Blue Hawks.
Rhea Pavia finished with a hit and an RBI, and Bailey Pepper added a hit and scored a run for the Blue Hawks.
