BELLEVUE, NEB. – Valley City State senior Ashlynne Copinga hit her first home run as a Viking to help VCSU go 1-1 in Saturday's doubleheader at Bellevue. The Vikings dropped the series opener 7-3, and then used Copinga's 3-run homer to defeat the Bruins 8-5 in game two.
 
With the victory, VCSU snapped Bellevue's seven-game winning streak and handed the Bruins its first conference loss on Saturday. Bellevue is now 16-8 on the season and 5-1 in conference play. VCSU moves to 9-16 on the season and 3-2 in the NSAA.
 
The Vikings round out the series at Bellevue on Sunday. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 12 p.m.
 
Bellevue 7, VCSU 3
Bellevue built a lead in the first inning, including a two-run homer from Lauren Jurek, and held on to defeat the Vikings 7-3, bringing its win streak to seven games.
 
The Vikings made a late run with the help of a Marissa Hawkins home run in the fifth inning. Riley Perryman added an RBI double, and Sierra Crocker's base hit scored Perryman to make it 6-3 but that's all VCSU would score in the game.
 
Andrea Rodriguez and Ashlyn Diemert each added at hit for the Vikings. Joelle Lamontagne got the loss in the circle and worked all 7 innings. She allowed seven runs on 13 hits while walking two and striking out three.
 
Bellevue's Katie Cunningham pitched a complete game and got the win after allowing five hits in the game. She struck out four and walked only one.
 
Jurek was 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and a home run, scored two runs and drove in two. Cunningham went 3-for-4 and scored a run, while Mya Montero drove in a pair of runs.
 
VCSU 8, Bellevue 5
Ashlynne Copinga broke a 5-5 tie in the sixth inning with a three-run homer to hand Bellevue its first conference loss Saturday in game two of the doubleheader.
 
Sierra Crocker's three-run homer in the first inning gave the Vikings an early lead, but Bellevue came back to tie it up in the third inning. Makenzee Stone drove in Alyssa DePoorter on a double in the fourth inning and later scored on a Bellevue error to lead 5-3.
 
Bellevue scored a pair of unearned runs to tie the game in the top of the sixth, but Copinga had the answer as she hit her first home run as a Viking – a three-run shot to center field.
 
Copinga finished with three hits, three RBIs and two runs for the Vikings. Stone doubled twice, scored twice, and drove in a run for VCSU.
 
Maddy Zander got the win in the circle after pitching a complete game. She allowed five runs – only two of which were earned – while walking five and striking out two.
 
Savannah Gunn got the loss for Bellevue after 5 and 1/3 innings of work. She allowed six runs on eight hits and struck out two. She did not walk a batter. Cunningham pitched in relief and allowed two runs on two hits.
 
Cunningham, Sami Reding and Leslie Egan each had a hit and scored a run for the Bruins.