VALLEY CITY – The most prolific regular season in VCSU softball history ended in a big way Saturday as the Vikings outscored Presentation College 29-1 in a doubleheader sweep.
Emily Smith and Amber Stewart combined on a five-inning shutout in game one as the Vikings won 9-0. In game two, VCSU offense pounded out 22 hits and 20 runs in a 20-1 victory.
The Vikings end the regular season with a school-record 46-3 overall record and extended their current winning streak to 13 games on Saturday. VCSU won the NSAA regular season championship with a 26-2 conference record and will be the top seed for the NSAA softball postseason tournament running May 2-5 in Valley City. The Vikings are ranked No. 7 in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. The winner of the NSAA Tournament earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round, although the Vikings are currently in line to receive an at-large bid if they are upset at the NSAA Tournament.
Presentation College will be the No. 8 seed as the teams will play each other in Thursday’s first round of the NSAA Tournament.
Over the four-game series this weekend, VCSU outscored Presentation College 51-2. Voni Culphad a monster series at the plate for VCSU. The senior reached base in her first 13 at bats of the series, recording nine hits and four walks. She finished the weekend series going 11-for-12 at the plate with nine runs, three extra-base hits and seven RBIs. Culp also drew four walks as she had a .917 batting average and a .938 on-base percentage against the Saints.
Keana Harmon also had a big weekend at the plate, going 6-for-6 with four runs, three doubles, two 3-run home runs and eight RBIs. As a team, VCSU hit .478 for the series. The Viking pitchers posted a 0.67 ERA over the weekend.
Up next: Valley City State University will host the NSAA Softball Championship, May 2-5 in Valley City. The Vikings will face Presentation College in Thursday’s opening round.
VCSU 9, Presentation College 0
Valley City State scored five runs in the third inning, breaking open a 1-0 game en route to the 9-0 shutout.
Emily Smith and Amber Stewart combined on the shutout. Smith pitched the first three innings and gave up just three hits. Stewart pitched the final two innings and allowed just two hits.
Marissa Hawkins went 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in two. Culp was 2-for-2 and scored three runs, and Autumn Perry had a pair of hits as well. VCSU finished with 10 hits in the game.
VCSU 20, Presentation College 1
The Vikings erupted for 22 hits in game two, and scored nine runs in the first inning to put the game out of reach early. Eleven different Vikings had hits in the game.
Keana Harmon hit a 3-run home run as she went 3-for-3 with three runs and four RBIs. Joelle Aiello was 4-for-5 at the plate, scoring twice and driving in one. Culp finished her monster series with a 3-for-4 game – getting out for the first time all weekend. She scored twice and drove in four runs. Kadie Anderson and Tatum Lundin each had two hits and scored two runs, and Marissa Hawkins had a pair of hits as well.
Emilee Wilson started in the circle and pitched two innings, giving up four hits and a run. Jami Nalley pitched two hitless innings, and Nichole Reed finished off the game by pitching a scoreless fifth inning.
(picture courtesy of Mark Potts/VCSU)