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N.D. (VCSUVikings.com)- The Valley City State baseball team continued its mid-season surge with a doubleheader sweep Friday at Dickinson State University.
After putting up 42 runs in a four-game sweep against Winnipeg last weekend, the Vikings continued their offensive outburst on Friday in Dickinson. The Vikings banged out 20 hits and 14 runs in game one, winning 14-6, and then tallied 10 hits and six runs during a 6-1 victory in game two. Saturday, they tallied 30 hits and six home runs as the Vikings split a conference doubleheader at Dickinson State.
VCSU lost a slugfest in game one Saturday, falling 14-6. The Vikings bounced back with four home runs in game two as they earned a 9-5 win in the series finale.
VCSU is now 15-19 overall and 9-3 in conference play after winning three out of four in Dickinson. The Blue Hawks are now 17-17 overall and 7-5 in the NSAA. The Vikings are 9-1 over their last 10 conference games.
Up next: Valley City State is scheduled to play a non-conference game Wednesday at Concordia College in Moorhead. The Vikings resume conference play Friday and Saturday with a four-game home series against Presentation College. Friday’s games start at 2 p.m. and Saturday’s doubleheader with the Saints is set to start at noon.
Friday
VCSU 14, Dickinson State 6
The Viking offense exploded for 20 hits and 14 runs in the first game of the day. VCSU scored eight runs in the first three innings to build an early 8-4 lead it would never relinquish.
Ben Bruenjes hit a pair of home runs for the Vikings, including a three-run shot in the top of the first inning and a two-run home run in the ninth.Emmanuel Leyva also homered and finished 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBIs.
Valley City State struck first on Bruenjes blast in the first inning. The Blue Hawks answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first, but the Vikings scored twice in the second inning and three times in the third inning to take control of the game.
Jacob VanVacter pitched eight innings to earn the win for VCSU. After a shaky start, he allowed just one run over his final six innings of work. VanVacter gave up nine hits and five runs, did not walk anyone and struck out five for his third win of the season.
Seven of the nine Viking starters had at least two hits in the game. Bruenjes led the way with a 3-for-6 game, scoring two runs and picking up five RBIs.Jared Meiklejohn had RBI hits in both the second and third innings, andJoe Demers, Brady Anderson and Anthony Necochea all had three hits each.
VCSU 6, Dickinson State 1
Andrew Frank pitched a complete game for the victory, needing just 73 pitches to work seven strong innings for VCSU. The right-hander gave up just three hits and one run, striking out seven and walking only one. Of Frank’s 73 pitches, 56 went for strikes as he won his third game of the season.
With the Vikings leading 4-1 in the top of the seventh, Nate Bagby delivered a pair of insurance runs with a two-run home run over the right-field fence.
VCSU struck first with single runs in the first and second innings. The Vikings added two more runs in the fifth before Bagby’s home run in the seventh. Anthony Necochea had RBI singles in the first and fifth innings, and Tyler Ukestad drove in a pair of runs with an RBI single in the second and a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Necochea finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and two RBIs. Ben Bruenjes and Nate Soulis each had a pair of hits, and Ukestad finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
Saturday
Dickinson State 14, VCSU 6
The Vikings tallied 15 hits in game one but could not keep up with the Blue Hawks, who scored 14 runs on 21 hits. Dickinson State set the tone early with five runs in the bottom of the first inning, taking a 5-1 lead.
Jared Meiklejohn had a perfect game at the plate for VCSU, going 5-for-5 with two runs, three RBIs, a double and a home run. Grant Wehseler also homered for the Vikings and both Anthony Necochea and Ryan Sand had a pair of hits.
Jordon Roos took the loss for VCSU after starting on the mound. He went three innings, giving up eight hits and six runs. He walked two and struck out four.
VCSU 9, Dickinson State 5
The Vikings closed the weekend strong in game two Saturday, picking up a 9-5 win to earn the series victory.
Trailing 1-0 after two innings, the Vikings erupted for six runs in the third inning to take the lead for good. Jared Meiklejohn opened the inning with a solo home run, and two batters later Brady Anderson hit a two-run home run to put the Vikings ahead. Austin Smith added a two-run double to cap off the big inning.
Ben Bruenjes added a two-run home run in the fourth inning – his third home run of the weekend – and Tyler Ukestad went deep with a solo shot in the fifth inning.
Anderson’s two-run blast also set a new RBI record at VCSU, giving him 133 career RBIs. That breaks the old mark of 131 RBIs held by Scott Radloff (1979-82).
Ukestad finished 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs and two RBIs. Austin Smithhad two hits and drove in two, and both Anderson and Bruenjes had two RBIs as well. Joe Demers went 3-for-4 and scored a pair of runs.
Steven Velarde pitched a complete game to pick up his third victory of the season. The senior right-hander gave up five hits and four earned runs in seven innings. He walked only two and struck out eight.