KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Viking Baseball opened the spring season with a doubleheader split on Saturday, dropping an extra-inning game to Midland before knocking off Graceland University in game two.
 
Playing in Kansas City, Kan., VCSU began the day with a tight 6-5 loss to Midland in extra innings. The Vikings followed that up with a 5-3 victory against Graceland, getting a go-ahead 2-run single from Dustin Mertz in the top of the seventh inning.
 
Valley City State moves its record to 4-4 overall (VCSU had a 3-3 record during the fall season). Midland is now 6-2 overall and Graceland drops to 7-5.
 
The Vikings are back in action Sunday with a 10 a.m. rematch with Midland and a 12:30 p.m. game against Dakota Wesleyan University.
 
Midland 6, VCSU 5 (8 innings)
The Vikings and Warriors needed extra innings in VCSU's spring opener as the teams traded leads throughout the day.
 
VCSU took a 2-0 lead after Dustin Mertz doubled in a pair of runs in the second inning. Midland responded with three runs in the fourth inning and another in the fifth to grab a 4-2 lead.
 
Jaden Babiuk's 2-run home run tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth, and then Kellen Scruggs hit a solo home run in the sixth as the Vikings took a 5-4 lead. Midland tied the game at 5-5 with a solo home run of their own in the top of the seventh, and then the Warriors scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the eighth.
 
Both teams had seven hits in the game. Scruggs was 2-for-4 with a home run and a double for VCSU, and Babiuk went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Mertz was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, and Tory Nelson had two hits and a walk.
 
Christopher Dietrich started on the mound for VCSU and went three innings, allowing two hits and three runs. He walked six and struck out four. Takao Cookson gave the Vikings 2 2/3 innings in relief, giving up three hits and just one run. He did not walk a batter and struck out two. Connor Nelson pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and two runs. He struck out four and did not walk anyone.
 
VCSU 5, Graceland 3
Hunter Magnuson gave the Vikings six strong innings on the mound, Dustin Mertz had the late go-ahead hit, and Connor Nelson picked up the save in game two Saturday.
 
Graceland scored all three of its runs in the first inning and from that point Magnuson was lights out. He stuck out eight batters over six innings and allowed just three hits. He retired eight batters in a row through the middle innings.
 
Tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh, the Vikings put together a game-winning rally. Daegen Morcom opened the inning with an infield single and then Anthony Madsen doubled off the well in left-center, putting runners at second and third. Mertz followed with a liner back up the middle, scoring both runners for a 5-3 Viking lead.
 
Nelson took the mound for the seventh inning and picked up the save. A hit batter and error put runners on second and third with two outs, but Nelson induced a fly out to end the game and secure VCSU's first win of the spring.
 
VCSU outhit Graceland 8-3 in the victory. The Vikings had three errors.
 
Mertz went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the offense, while Morcom had two hits and scored a run. Madsen, Hunter Logan and Cam Pero all had one hit each.