OMAHA, NEB. – For the second straight day, the Valley City State baseball team played No. 9-ranked Bellevue University tough in the first game of a doubleheader but was unable to complete the upset.
VCSU's pitching and defense limited Bellevue to five runs in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader – and freshman
Kaden Rozdeba hit his first collegiate home run – but the Vikings fell 5-3 in a close game. In game two, Bellevue's offense exploded for a 21-0 victory.
Valley City State is now 5-19 overall and 1-7 in conference play after dropping the series against conference leader Bellevue (21-4, 8-0).
Up next: Valley City State has now played its first 17 games of the spring season on the road and is back on the road next weekend with a four-game series at Viterbo University (3-18, 1-5 NSAA).
Bellevue 5, VCSU 3
Brooks Brown started on the mound and gave the Vikings five solid innings, scattering seven hits and four runs. He struck out two and walked four. Bellevue pushed across two runs in both the second and third innings to take an early lead.
Jace Hanson pitched three innings of relief for the Vikings, allowing just two hits and one run.
Connor Nelson set the Bruins down 1-2-3 in his one inning of work.
Freshman catcher
Kaden Rozdeba had a big game at the plate, pushing across all three of VCSU's runs. His second inning double scored
Drew Nixon as the Vikings cut their early deficit to 2-1. Trailing 5-1 in the ninth inning, Rozdeba hit his first collegiate home run – a 2-run blast – to trim the deficit to 5-3.
Rozdeba finished the day 2-for-4 with a run and three RBIs. Jay Greul had a pair of hits as well, and
Jett Salonek and
Drew Nixon scored runs.
Bellevue 21, VCSU 0
Game two was all Bruins on Saturday as they erupted for 22 hits, four home runs and 21 runs.
Valley City State managed just one hit in the game, a first inning single by
Dustin Mertz.
Riley Resnick started on the mound and took the loss for VCSU.
Adam Thompson,
Devon Cook Harrison Metz and
Carter Dodd all pitched in relief.
