HELENA, MONT. – The Valley City State University softball team split a pair of games while at Carroll College on Saturday, April 18. The Vikings fell in game one of the doubleheader 4-3 but delivered a 10-5 win in game two going 1-1 on the day.
 
The Vikings are now 20-19 overall on the season and are 10-8 in Frontier Conference games. Carroll College is now 15-13 overall and 10-8 in Frontier Conference games.
 
Starting the game both teams saw the first inning come and go. Later in the top of the second the Vikings broke through. Jenna Decker reached on a fielder's choice. Reagan Mieras was walked putting runners on first and second. Decker would later steal third setting up a Katelyn MacNeill RBI single. Ahleeya Nicola followed with a clutch two-run double to right field, giving VCSU a 3-0 advantage.
 
Later in the bottom of the fifth, Carroll College tallied four runs set up by a walk and a bunt single. One wild pitch and a single later, Carroll scored their first run of the contest. With another walk and double they tied the game. A wild pitch and single sent the game winning run to the plate. The sixth and seventh came and went and Carroll held on to a 4-3 win.
 
At the mound Maddy Hazelton was credited the loss moving to 9-11 on the season. She delivered four strikeouts and allowed four runs. The Vikings offense was led by Ahleeya Nicola who was 2/3 with two RBIs.
 
 Valley City State battled back from an early deficit and erupted late to secure a 10-5 extra-inning victory over Carroll College. The Vikings struck first in the second inning when Anna Kowalyk doubled to center field to score Reagan Mieras, but Carroll responded in the bottom half with a three-run double from Madison Walker to take a 3-1 lead. Carroll added another run in the fourth on a groundout, extending the advantage to 4-1.
 
The Vikings began to chip away in the fifth inning, stringing together three hits highlighted by an RBI single from Madden Bogenreif to make it 4-2. After both teams were held scoreless in the sixth, VCSU delivered in the seventh inning to tie the game. Ahleeya Nicola doubled home a run and later scored on a Pascale Kihn single, evening the score at 4-4. Carroll threatened in the bottom half, but the Vikings escaped the jam to force extra innings.
 
In the eighth, Valley City State broke the game wide open with a six-run outburst. Nicola drove in the go-ahead run with a single before Bogenreif delivered grand slam to center as part of a four-RBI swing that put VCSU firmly in control. Jenna Decker added an RBI double later in the inning to cap the rally. Carroll managed one run in the bottom of the eighth, but the Vikings closed it out to complete the comeback victory.
 
Madden Bogenreif led the Vikings offense going 2/5 with five RBIs. Anna Kowalyk was 3/3 with one RBI and two runs. VCSU's Cooper Klaahsen was credited the win improving to 6-5 on the season after 1.2 innings with two strikeouts.

UP NEXT: The Vikings face Carroll College in Helena at 12:00 and 2:00 on Sunday, April 19.