KANSAS CITY, KAN. – VCSU baseball dropped both sides of a doubleheader on Sunday, falling 11-1 to Midland University in the opener and then suffering a tight 2-1 loss against Dakota Wesleyan.
 
Valley City State finishes its opening weekend of spring games with a 1-3 record in Kansas City. The Vikings are now 4-6 overall. The next 11 games will be played in Florida as the Vikings take their spring break trip from March 1-9 at the RussMat Central Florida Invitational.
 
Midland 11, VCSU 1
Midland hit a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning, putting up six early runs en route to the 11-1 win over VCSU.
 
The Vikings managed six hits in the loss, including two each by Tory Nelson and Anthony Madsen. Hunter Logan singled and scored VCSU's only run, coming across on an RBI groundout by Jaden Babiuk. Kaden Rozdeba added a hit for VCSU as well.
 
Jacob Hendrickson started on the mound and took the loss, giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings. He allowed only two hits but walked five. Jacob Marx pitching three innings of relief, giving up six hits and five runs – only one of which was earned. Brendan Berk finished off the game with 1 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
 
The Vikings committed two errors that led to five unearned runs.
 
Dakota Wesleyan 2, VCSU 1
The Vikings finished their trip with a nailbiter in game two, falling 2-1 despite a sparkling pitching performance by Kahlil Tilbury.
 
Tilbury kept Dakota Wesleyan scoreless through six innings, giving up just two hits and striking out six hitters.
 
Tied 0-0 after 5 ½ innings, the Vikings finally broke through with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tory Nelson drew a walk to lead off the inning and then was lifted for pinch runner Justin Rogers. Jaden Babiuk and Kellen Scruggs followed with back-to-back singles and Rogers scored from second base on Scruggs' hit to left field.
 
The lead would be short-lived though as Dakota Wesleyan scored two runs in the top of the seventh, taking advantage of an error, a walk and a balk to put runners in scoring position. A two-out, bases-loaded single would eventually scored a pair of runners for a 2-1 lead.
 
The Vikings did not go quietly in the bottom of the seventh and appeared to have the game tied at one point. With the bases loaded and a 3-1 count, VCSU batter Kaden Rozdeba was hit on the elbow by an inside pitch – which should have scored the tying run. The home plate umpire kept Rozdeba at the plate though and called the pitch a strike, apparently ruling that Rozdeba intentionally tried to get hit. The next pitch was a called strike for the final out of the game.
 
VCSU finished with six hits, including two each by Jaden Babiuk and Cam Pero. Kellen Scruggs and Hunter Logan each added a hit.
 
Tilbury worked six innings for VCSU, allowing just the two hits and no runs. Jay Mendez took the loss after coming on for the seventh inning.