MADISON, S.D. – In a perfect example that there is more to life than sports, the second game of the Valley City State and Dakota State doubleheader ended in a tie due to unforeseen circumstances. After a Cam Pero grand slam in the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 16-16, a VCSU player collapsed in the dugout. While both teams knelt in prayer, medical personnel tended to the player. The player is conscious, alert, and in stable condition. Both coaches, the umpires and game officials got together at home plate and decided to end the game in a tie. Dakota State won game one 18-16.

The Vikings are now 15-17-1 overall and 2-9-1 in the Frontier Conference. Dakota State is 14-19-1 overall and 6-5-1 in the conference.

GAME 1: Dakota State 18, Valley City State 16
Dakota State took advantage of some wildness by Viking starter Grady Shipman in the early going. In the top of the first, Shipman walked the first two batters. After a sacrifice bunt moved them over, Cameron DeMaria doubled, scoring two runs to make it 2-0.

The Vikings came back to take the lead in the bottom of the second inning with a four run, two-out rally. After the first two batters were retired, Evan Gonzalez walked and Cam Pero was hit by a pitch. Hunter Logan doubled, scoring Gonzalez to make it 2-1. Cody Wielgosh walked to load the bases. Pero came in on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2. Alexis Velasco singled in Logan and Wielgosh to give the Vikings a 4-2 lead.

That lead was short-lived. With two on in the top of the third, Cameron Kittridge hit a three-run home run to left-center field to give the Trojans the lead back at 5-4.

In the top of the fourth, the Trojans added three more runs. With the bases-loaded and nobody out, George Hogan hit into a double play. Aidan Perry scored to make it 6-4. Aidan Barfuss hit an RBI double to make it 7-4. Then Hunter Den Boer drove in a run with an infield single to make it 8-4.

In the top of the fifth, Dakota State scored five runs on only two hits. The first run came in on an error, then Kittridge hit his second three-run home run of the game to make it 12-4. An RBI ground out by Chris Vinson made it 13-4 Trojans.

The Vikings would cut into that lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Kaden Rozdeba singled to right, Diesel Goya and Alexis Velasco scored to make it 13-6. Anthony Madsen singled, scoring Brady Papineau to make it 13-7.  

Dakota State would storm right back in the top of the sixth with its second straight five-run inning, all five runs came with two out. With the bases loaded and two out, Aidan Barfuss singled to shortstop to bring in a run. After another single re-loaded the bases, Aidan Marsh hit a grand slam home run over the right field fence to make it 18-7 Dakota State.

The Vikings came right back themselves with a six-run inning bottom of the sixth. VCSU would load the bases with one out, Jackson Penner singled to center field, scoring Goya and Velasco to make it 18-9. With runners at first and second, Madsen grounded one to the right side. First baseman Cameron DeMaria made a diving play on the ball, but his throw got past the pitch, allowing Papineau to score. Penner stopped at third and Madsen ended up at second. Gonzalez then hit a shot down the right field line for a three-run homer. It was his team leading fifth home run of the season. That made it 18-13 Dakota State heading to the seventh inning.

Dakota State threaten to add to its lead in the top of the seventh but did not score.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Vikings made things interesting. Wielgosh led off with a single to right, then stole second. Velasco walked to put runners on first and second. Nick Senn walked to load the bases with no one out. Papineau was hit by a pitch to bring in Wielgosh to make it 18-14 and brought the tying run to the plate. Penner grounded out to third, Velasco came across to score to make it 18-15. Madsen popped out to on a nice play by second baseman Aidan Perry down the right field line, pinch runner Izzak Warhoilik came in to score to make it 18-16 with two out and a runner at third. However, Gonzalez would strike out swinging to end the rally and the game.

The Vikings had 13 hits, with ten different players with at least one. Cody Wielgosh was 2 for 3 with two runs scored. Brady Papineau was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Hunter Logan was 2 for 5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Hudson Ford was 1 for 1, Nick Senn was 1 for 2, Jackson Penner was 1 for 2 with a run and three RBI, Kaden Rozdeba was 1 for 3 with two RBI, Alexis Velasco was 1 for 4 with three runs and two RBI, Anthony Madsen was 1 for 4 with a run and two RBI, Evan Gonzalez was 1 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI.

GAME 2: Dakota State 16, Valley City State 16 F/9
Valley City State struck first in the night cap with a run in the bottom of the first. Nick Senn singled to left with two out to bring in Cody Wielgosh who doubled, giving the Vikings an early 1-0 lead.

Dakota State would plate eight runs in the top of the second to take the lead. Cameron Kittridge and Aiden Barfuss hit back-to-back home runs to start the inning to make it 2-1 Trojans. A hustle double by Chris Vinson brought in Hunter Den Boer to make it 3-1 Dakota State. With the bases loaded and one out, Cameron DeMaria was hit by a pitch, bringing in Vinson to make it 4-1. George Hogan would then unload the bases with a grand slam giving the Trojans an 8-1 lead.

The Trojans would add three runs in the top of the third. Aidan Perry singled to right, Den Boer scored, when Evan Gonzalez over ran the ball in right, Connor Raney scored from third to make it 10-1 Dakota State. Hogan singled to left, scoring Perry to make it 11-1 Trojans.

Valley City State got four runs back in the bottom of the third inning. With runners at first and third and nobody out, Alexis Velasco doubled to center field, scoring Hunter Logan to make it 11-2. Nick Senn grounded out, Jackson Penner scored to make it 11-3. Brady Papineau singled to center, bringing in Velasco to make it 11-4. Anthony Madsen singled to left, scoring Papineau to make it 11-5. With the bases loaded and two out, Cam Pero walked, Kaden Rozdeba scored to make it 11-6 Dakota State after three innings.

I the bottom of the fifth, Valley City State pushed across two runs. Gonzalez drove in Papineau with a single to center. Madsen scored on a wild pitch to make it 11-8. With the bases loaded and two out, Velasco walked, scoring Gonzalez to make it 11-9 Trojans after five innings.

Brady Papineau led off the bottom of the sixth with a double. A wild pitch moved him over to third. Rozdeba walked then stole second, when the catcher's throw was off target and got away from the second baseman, Papineau came in to score, making it 11-10 Dakota State after six innings.

In the top of the seventh Dakota State added three runs. With runners at second and third and one out, Cameron DeMaria singled to center, driving in two runs to make it 13-10. Kittridge singled to left field bringing home another run to make it 14-10 Trojans.

In the eighth, the Trojans got a two out, two-run single by Camaron Haller to make it 16-10 Dakota State.

But the Vikings had one last rally in them. In the bottom of the ninth the Vikings scored six runs, five coming when two were out. Cody Wielgosh, who left the game earlier with a thumb injury, led off with a single, then went to second on a wild pitch. Velasco singled to left, scoring Wielgosh to make it 16-11. With two out and the bases loaded, Gonzalez reached on an error, Papineau scored to make it 16-12. The Cam Pero stepped to the plate and launched a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for a game tying grand slam, to send the game to extra innings.

The Vikings had 15 hits and had nine players with at least one. Cody Wielgosh was 2 for 2 with a double and two runs scored. Alexis Velasco, and Jackson Penner were both 2 for 4. Velasco had a double, scored once and drove in three. Penner scored once. Brady Papineau was 2 for 5 with a double, scored four times and had one RBI. Evan Gonzalez was 2 for 6 with two runs scored and an RBI. Kaden Rozdeba was 1 for 3 with a run scored. Anthony Madsen was 1 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Hunter Logan, Nick Senn, and Cam Pero were all 1 for 5. Logan scored once, Senn had two RBI, and Pero had the game-tying grand slam and drove in five runs.

UP NEXT: The Vikings are scheduled to head to Bismarck for a four-game series with Bismarck State on Friday April 10^th and Saturday April 11^th. Game times on both days are 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.