VALLEY CITY – The Valley City State University softball team handed the University of Jamestown its first conference loss of the season after a Saturday split with the Jimmies.
 
Saturday's games featured 11 home runs between the rivals, including eight from the Vikings. VCSU dropped the first game of the doubleheader 5-4 and then stormed back with a 12-5 win in game two. The Vikings also recognized its four seniors, Maddy Zander, Makenzee Stone, Ashlyn Diemert and Alyssa DePoorter after Saturday's doubleheader.
 
VCSU is now 17-16 overall and 6-4 in conference play. Jamestown, who is receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, is now 25-12 on the season and 9-1 in the conference.
 
The Vikings and Jimmies conclude their 4-game series Sunday at the VCSU Softball Complex. The conference doubleheader is slated for 12 and 2 p.m.
 
(RV) Jamestown 5, VCSU 4
Jamestown defeated the Vikings 5-4 after a seventh inning rally to come from behind in Saturday's win.
 
Kylee Banerd homered to open scoring in the game, but Jamestown knotted the game at 1-1 in the second inning and would remain tied until the fifth inning when Lauren Weigel smashed a 3-run homer to left field in the fifth inning to take a 3-1 lead.
 
VCSU's Kennadi Stone then drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning paired with a 2-run homer from her sister Makenzee Stone in the sixth inning to regain the lead, 4-3.
 
Jamestown had the answer in the top of the seventh inning, loading the bases with no outs to threaten the Viking lead. Maddie Spaeth delivered an RBI single and Kylie Yanzuk drew a bases-loaded walk to take the 5-4 advantage. Jamestown's starting pitcher Hope Ransome re-entered the game and held off the Vikings in the bottom half of the inning, including two strikeouts, to pick up a save.
 
Diemert and Banerd each posted two hits for the Vikings while Diemert and Katelyn MacNeill each doubled in the game. Banerd scored two runs as she and Makenzee Stone each homered Saturday.
 
Maddy Zander got the loss for VCSU after starting in the circle and working 6 complete innings. She allowed four earned runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out four. Madison Hazelton pitched 1 inning in relief and allowed just one hit, walked one and struck out one.
 
Jamestown's Maddie Hairgrove picked up the win after pitching 1 and 2/3 innings in relief. She allowed two runs on three hits and walked three. Ransome earned a save after starting the game and re-entering in the seventh to total 5 and 1/3 innings. She allowed two runs, only one of which was earned, on six hits while walking two and striking out six.
 
Trinity Gregg was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs and one RBI for Jamestown. Kylie Quintanilla doubled and Weigel homered in the game.
 
VCSU 12, (RV) Jamestown 5
Valley City State then bounced back with a 12-5 win over the Jimmies in the second game of the day that featured six Viking home runs including two apiece from Diemert and Zander.
 
VCSU posted five runs in the first inning including homers from Ashlyn Diemert, Kennadi Stone and Maddy Zander. Jamestown closed the gap to 5-4 with the help of a Quintanilla 3-run homer in the third inning.
 
The Vikings then used a big fourth inning to pull away with the help of a 2-run home run from Diemert and a 3-run home run from Zander to build a 10-4 lead. VCSU added a 2-run homer from Logan Gronberg in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.
 
VCSU totaled 11 hits in the game including seven for extra bases. Diemert (2), Gronberg, Kennadi Stone, and Zander (2) all homered, and Makenzee Stone added a double for the Vikings. Zander drove in a team-best four runs while Diemert drove in three.
 
Cooper Klaahsen picked up the win for VCSU after pitching 3 complete relief innings. She allowed one run on one hit, struck out two and did not walk a signle batter. Hazelton started in the circle and worked 4 complete innings. She allowed four runs on four hits and walked two batters.
 
Abby Blair got the loss for Jamestown after pitching 1/3 of an inning and allowing five runs on three hits. Laura Ransome and Hairgrove each made relief appearances for the Jimmies. Offensively, Quintanilla posted a home run and a double to post two of Jamestown's five hits in the game.