MADISON, S.D. – The Valley City State softball team split its Saturday doubleheader at Dakota State, including a 12-7 victory that featured 16 Viking hits, eight of which were for extra bases.
The Vikings then dropped the second game 5-4 in eight innings. VCSU is now 22-21 on the season and 16-7 in conference play. Dakota State moves to 13-30 overall and 12-13 in North Star play.
VCSU concludes the regular season on Sunday at Dakota State. First pitch of the conference doubleheader is at 1 p.m. in Madison.
VCSU 12, Dakota State 7
The Viking bats were hot early as VCSU jumped out to an 11-2 lead after the first three innings of game one, en route to a 12-7 victory.
VCSU posted five runs in the first inning, including RBI doubles from
Riley Perryman,
Alyssa DePoorter and
Maddy Zander. Forseth added an RBI triple, and
Makenzee Stone drove in a run on a single to garner a 5-0 advantage.
Ashlyn Diemert homered in the second inning, and Perryman added a 2-run shot in the third inning to help the Vikings build a comfortable lead.
Dakota State managed three runs in the fifth inning to trail 12-5, and added two more in the seventh but could not make the comeback.
Perryman finished 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and three RBI. Diemert added three hits, three runs and two RBI. DePoorter, Zander and
Ashlynne Copinga each added two hits including a double apiece, and
Andrea Rodriguez tripled Sunday.
Joelle Lamontagne got the win in the circle, pitching all 7 innings. She allowed seven runs, four of which were earned, on 11 hits while walking one and striking out five.
Maycee Bricker got the loss for Dakota State after pitching 3 complete innings. She allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out one.
Dakota State's Mackenzie Sims led the way with three hits including a double and two RBI. Rosie Philop and Hannah McFarland each had two hits while Philop drove in three runs and McFarland scored three times.
Dakota State 5, VCSU 4 (8 innings)
The second game of the day opened as a pitcher's duel between VCSU's
Maddy Zander and Dakota State's Sophia Cordova as both teams remained scoreless through four innings.
The Vikings broke the scoring drought on an RBI single from Rodriguez. Diemert added a sac fly to hold a 2-0 lead in the middle of the fifth inning. Dakota State then scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Vikings added two runs in the sixth inning on RBI doubles from Zander and Forseth to tie the game at 4-4.
A scoreless seventh inning forced the game into extra innings, and Dakota State's Mackenzie Sims drove in the game-winning run in the eighth to take the 5-4 victory at home.
Maddy Zander got the loss for VCSU, pitching 7 and 2/3 innings and allowing five runs on 12 hits in the game. She walked four batters and struck out eight.
Zander also led the Vikings at the plate, going 3-for-3, scoring two runs and driving in one. DePoorter and
MacKenzie Rist each scored for the Vikings, while Diemert, Forseth and Rodriguez each recorded an RBI.
Dakota State's Maycee Bricker pitched 2 and 2/3 innings and got the win in the circle. She allowed two runs on four hits and struck out five batters. Sophia Cordova started for the Trojans and worked 5 and 1/3 innings while allowing two runs on three hits and walking three.
Sims drove in two runs for Dakota State, including the game-winner. Michelle Evdos had two hits including a double and scored a run for the Trojans.
