VALLEY CITY N.D. – The Valley City State University softball team swept the Mayville State University Comets in their home doubleheader on Wednesday, April 15. The Vikings took the first game 6-3 and followed it up with an 8-0 five inning run rule win as Head Coach Matt Gable delivered his 100th career win as head coach of the Vikings!
 
The Vikings improve their overall record to 19-18 and are 9-7 in Frontier Conference games. The Comets are now 11-24 overall and 5-12 in Frontier Conference games.
 
VCSU tallied five runs in the first inning paving their way to a 6-3 win to start the afternoon. The Vikings quickly loaded the bases early in the bottom of the first. Pascale Kihn started the rally with a leadoff single. Kennadi Stone doubled which brought Kihn to third. After Kylee Banerd was hit by a pitch setting the scene for the big inning. Kihn scored the first run on a wild pitch, while runners advanced the second and third. Jenna Decker then earned a walk reloading the bases. Reagan Mieras then delivered a three RBI triple to clear the bases. She later scored on an error giving the Vikings a 5-0 lead after the first inning.
 
Mayville State answered in the second inning, taking advantage of walks and a hit batter to plate two runs and cut the deficit to 5-2. However, Valley City State responded immediately in the bottom half. Kihn and Kennadi Stone again sparked the offense with back-to-back hits, and Jenna Decker drove in Kihn with an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-2.
 
The Vikings' pitching took over in the later innings, shutting down Mayville's offense and limiting scoring chances. Mayville's only additional run came on a solo home run by Madison Terres in the fifth. Hadley Gerle pitched five innings with three strikeouts yielding only three runs. In relief Cooper Klaahsen delivered one inning with three strike outs on 10 pitches followed by Maddy Hazelton earning the save closing the seventh with one strikeout and 16 pitches. Gerle moves to 1-1 on the season. Hazelton earned her third save of the year.
 
The Viking offense was propelled by Reagans Mieras who was 1/2 with a three RBI triple and a walk. Kennadi Stone was and impressive 3/3 in the game.
 
VCSU took game two in dominate fashion as the won 8-0 in five innings via run rule. On the mound Grace Folkema was perfect through the two innings. She forced two pop outs and a strikeout in the first and followed in the second with three straight strikeouts. She yielded two walks in the third still holding Mayville hitless as she bought time for the Viking offence to fire up.
 
In the bottom of the third, Madden Bogenreif sparked the offense with a double to center before Kennadi Stone followed with an RBI single to give Valley City State a 1-0 lead. That momentum carried into the fourth inning. After Reagan Mieras reached and later scored on a Bailey Leroux RBI double, the Vikings added one more base runner to set up a three-run home run from Madden Bogenreif that pushed the Vikings' advantage to 5-0.
 
The Comets threated in the top of the fifth as they loaded the bases only to be stranded after a strikeout. The Vikings put the finishing touches on the run-rule victory in the fifth. Taking advantage of walks and a wild pitch, VCSU loaded the bases before Pascale Kihn drove in two runs with a single to left. Moments later, Bogenreif added another RBI on a groundout to bring the score to 8-0, sealing the win.
 
VCSU Grace Folkema was credited the win improving to 3-2 on the season after the five inning, 10 strikeout shutout. Madden Bogereif was 2/4 in the contest with a home run, a double and 4 RBIs.
 
UP NEXT: Viking softball will be at Carroll College on Saturday, April 18 in Helena, Mont.