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CITY, N.D.(VCSUVikings.com) – For Mayville State, a seven-hour delay was worth the wait. In a game that was scheduled to start at 2 p.m., but didn’t start until after 9 p.m., the Comets scored six first-inning runs en route to a 9-6 victory over Valley City State University.

Valley City State did not roll over after the first inning and fought back to tie the game at 6-6 in the fifth inning. Mayville State’s Dondrei Hubbard hit a tie-breaking 2-run home run in the top of the seventh to put the Comets in front for good.

The win early Tuesday morning came in the Bracket B Championship of the NSAA Baseball Tournament and advanced the Comets (45-10) to the championship game Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. against the University of Jamestown (40-18). The tournament champion will earn an automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round next week. Due to a long rain delay earlier in the day, the VCSU-Mayville State game did not start until 9:21 p.m. Monday and finally concluded at 12:48 a.m. Tuesday.

Valley City State ends its season with a 27-26 record.

Jose Guzman’s 3-run home run highlighted the top of the first inning for Mayville State, which featured just two hits. Mayville State took advantage of four walks and a hit batter by Viking starter Steven Velarde to score the six early runs and jump out to what looked like an insurmountable lead.

Valley City State got one run back in the bottom of the third but missed an opportunity to get more. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out. Mayville State got a strike out of Joe Demers for the second out, and then Brady Anderson drove in VCSU’s first run with an infield single that scored Manny Leyva. The inning came to an end though on Ben Bruenjes ground ball to third base as VCSU left the bases full.

The Vikings continued to chip away with an RBI double from Grant Wesheler in the fourth inning, making it 6-2.

Valley City State then mounted a huge two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game at 6-6. Brady Anderson smoked a two-out solo home run off the scoreboard to make it 6-3. VCSU continued its two-out rally as Ben Bruenjes drew a walk and Nate Bagby and Anthony Necochea followed with singles to right field, the last of which scored pinch runner Mitch Scheer to make it 6-4. Grant Wehseler then loaded the bases with an infield single, and Manny Leyva tied the game with a two-run double to left-center.

Dondrei Hubbard regained the lead for the Comets in the top of the seventh with a no-doubt 2-run home run off Jacob VanVacter over the left-center fence , putting the Comets ahead 8-6.

VCSU’s best threat to battle back came in the bottom of the eighth as the Vikings drew three walks in the inning to load the bases with two outs. Nate Bagby worked a 3-1 count against Garret Osterode but popped out to shortstop to end the threat and keep the game at 8-6 in favor of the Comets.

Riley Nelson delivered an RBI single in the top of the ninth inning, adding an insurance run for the Comets. Kalton Agnes set the Vikings down in order in the ninth inning to earn the save. Jacob Torgerson picked up the win for Mayville State, pitching 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Garret Osterode and Agnes each pitched a scoreless inning to lock up the win.

The Comets had eight hits in the game, led by a 2-for-2 game from Brady Nygaard, who also drew three walks and scored two runs. Hubbard and Guzman each homered and combined to drive in five runs.

Jacob VanVacter took the loss and pitching the sixth and seventh innings in relief, giving up one hit and two runs. Max Koprek came on in relief in the first inning for VCSU and gave the Vikings a chance to battle back by going 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out three.

VCSU had nine hits in the game, including three by Grant Wehseler. Brady Anderson went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs. Emmanuel Leyva drove in a pair of runs as well.

Up next: Mayville State will play University of Jamestown for the NSAA Championship on Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Valley City. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round. The loser will have to wait and see if they earn an at-large bid to continue their season. Valley City State ends its season at 27-26 overall