JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Valley State University was back at the Nelson Family Bubble Sunday for a doubleheader with the University of Mary. The Vikings picked up a split on the day, winning game 1 3-2 and falling 12-2 in game 2.
Valley City State is 1-3 on the season. The Marauders are 3-5 on the young season.
GAME 1: Valley City State 3, U of Mary 2
The Vikings got on the board right away in the top of the first.
Pascale Kihn led off the game with a single, then moved to third on
Kylee Banerd's single to right. Kihn in on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Vikings.
VCSU added a run in the fifth to extend the lead. With one out,
Logan Gronberg and
Kennadi Stone hit back-to-back singles. Then with two out,
Reagan Mieras singled to right scoring pinch runner,
Hadley Gerle to make it 2-0 Vikings.
The Marauders evened the score with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Lalaina Baker drove in a run with a single and Jianna Cota scored Baker with an RBI ground out to tie the game.
Valley City State scored the winning run in the top of the sixth.
Ahleeya Nicola started the inning with a double. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Avery Kuklinski. Kihn singled to center to bring in Nicola to give the Vikings a 3-2 lead.
Logan Gronberg and
Grace Folkema did the rest as the two finished out the game in the circle. Gronberg, who started the game, retired the Marauders 1-2-3 in the sixth. She got the first out in the seventh, then came out in favor of Folkema. After a one-out single, Folkema retired the last two hitters to pick up the save for Gronberg.
Pascale Kihn was 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Kennadi Stone and
Ahleeya Nicola were both 2 for 3. Nicola scored a run.
Jenna Decker and
Katelyn MacNeill were each 1 for 3, MacNeill had a double.
Kylee Banerd,
Logan Gronberg, and
Reagan Mieras were all 1 for 4, Mieras had an RBI.
Gronberg got the win in the circle going 6 1/3 innings. She allowed four hits, two runs, one earned, with a walk and seven strikeouts. Folkema pitched 2/3 of an inning to pick up the save. She allowed one hit and had one strikeout.
GAME 2: Mary 12, Valley City State 2
In the second game, Mary scored two runs in the first then pulled away with three on the fifth in a 12-2 victory over the Vikings.
In the first, the Marauders scored when Kaitlyn McLaughlin scored on a passed ball. Genevieve Hastings scored on Madison Shamanski's ground out to make it 2-0.
Mary added a run in the second when McLaughlin singled in Jenel Mallari, making it 3-0.
The Vikings go a run back in the bottom of the third when Kylee Banard singled in
Avery Kuklinski to make it 3-1.
The Marauders scored three unearned runs in the fifth inning to open a five-run lead. Two runs scored on errors, and one scored on Jianna Cota's single to make it 6-1 Mary.
Mary scored six times in the top of the seventh inning. Francesca Villaneda drove in two with a single, Mallari had an RBI single, Olivia Gomez tripled in two more, and McLaughlin singled in one, making the score 12-1 Mary heading to the bottom of the seventh.
The Vikings got one in the bottom of the seventh when
Bailey Leroux reached on a fielder's choice, scoring
Madden Bogenreif who singled to lead off the inning. That made the final score 12-2.
Six different Vikings had at least one hit.
Pascale Kihn,
Ahleeya Nicola,
Reagan Mieras, and
Madden Bogenreif were all 1 for 3. Bogenreif did score a run.
Kylee Banerd was 1 for 4 with an RBI and
Hadley Gerle was 1 for 1.
Grace Folkema took the loss in the circle, She allowed three hits, three runs, one earned, in 1 2/3 innings. She walked three and struck out three.
UP NEXT: The Vikings head to Sioux Center, Iowa next weekend to play four games at Dordt University. They play Briar Cliff and Dordt on Friday. They will follow that up with Waldorf and College of St. Mary's on Saturday.
