ORLANDO, FLA. – Valley City State University baseball fell 6-5 in a close battle with the University of Fort Lauderdale.
 
The Vikings fall to 12-12 on the season and 7-7 in their trip to the RussMatt Invitational. The University of Fort Lauderdale improves to 20-8 on their season and 9-3 during the RussMatt Invitational.
 
UFL 6, VCSU 5  
The Vikings comeback efforts came up just short in the top of the ninth leaving the game tying run on base falling 6-5 to the University of Fort Lauderdale. Kaden Rozdeba was 2-for-3 on the night with a home run, a single, and a sacrifice fly good for four RBIs and a run.
 
The University of Fort Lauderdale scored the first run of the game of a solo shot home run in the bottom of the first. Later in the second they grew their lead to 3-0.
 
The Vikings responded in the third with a three-run homer from Kaden Rozdeba that drove home Justin Rogers and Diesel Goya tying the game at 3-3.
 
UFL reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third scoring on of a single to right field and a sacrifice fly to right making the score 5-3. In the bottom of the seventh they tallied one more making it 6-3 after a single to right field.
 
The Vikings closed the gap in the top of the eighth from a Kaden Rozdeba sacrifice fly that scored Jaden Babiuk. In the top of the ninth with the based loaded they scored on from Cam Pero grounding into a double play but one out later UFL ended the game 6-5.
 
Viking pitcher was credited the loss in his three-inning outing. He had three strikeouts and allowed five runs. Jay Mendez and Johan Freudenburg pitched three and two innings each both earning four strikeouts.
 
UFL's Payton Casey pitched three innings earning the win and four strikeouts. Gabriel Sjostrom was credited the save.
 
UP NEXT: The Vikings have a rematch against the University of Fort Lauderdale March 15 at 4:30 p.m. CT.