MADISON, S.D. – The Valley City State baseball team opened conference play with a split on Sunday at Dakota State University.
VCSU lost game one of the four-game series, falling 9-7 during a game that started on Saturday, but was suspended due to rain with the teams tied 2-2 in the seventh inning. The game resumed Sunday and the teams combined to score 12 runs over the final three innings as Dakota State won on a walk-off home run.
The Vikings bounced back with 14 runs in game two Sunday, hitting four home runs as they powered their way to a 14-8 victory to secure the split.
Valley City State is now 8-15 overall and 1-1 in the North Star Athletic Association. Dakota State is now 8-8 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Vikings and Trojans will conclude their series with a doubleheader Monday starting at 1 p.m. Both games will be 7-inning contests.
Dakota State 9, Valley City State 7
Dakota State scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, defeating the Vikings on a walk-off three-run home run.
The game was tied 2-2 in the seventh inning when it was suspended due to rain on Saturday. When the game resumed Sunday, the Vikings scored two more runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth to open up a 7-4 lead. Dakota State rallied in its last at bat and won the game on Mason Macaluso’s walk-off home run.
The Vikings finished with seven runs on 13 hits. Dakota State scored its nine runs on eight hits.
Five different Vikings had two hits in the game. Dustin Mertz was 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. David Demeter homered and went 2-for-6 with two runs and two RBIs. Ryan Reynolds finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Colton Berg drove in a run and was 2-for-4, and Jayden Shipman added two hits as well.
Tyler Kliniske started the game on Saturday and gave the Vikings five strong innings on the mound. Kliniske scattered five hits and gave up two runs. He walked three and struck out four. Matthew Suda pitched a scoreless inning on Saturday, striking out two. Phillip Almanza took the mound on Sunday for the Vikings and took the loss, allowing three hits and seven runs over 2 1/3 innings.
VCSU 14, Dakota State 8
The Vikings hit four home runs and pounded out 18 hits and 14 runs in game two Sunday, rolling to a 14-8 victory.
Jorun Hamre homered twice and doubled to lead the Viking barrage, while JT Reed and Ryan Reynolds each homered as well. Hamre hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning, and Reed hit a three-run home run in the second inning as the Vikings opened up a 10-3 lead after three innings.
Dakota State trimmed the deficit to 10-8 after seven innings, but the Vikings put the game away with four runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
After finishing game one on the mound, Phillip Almanza started game two for the Vikings and went three innings. Almanza struck out two over three innings, allowing five hits and two earns runs. Mitch Taylor pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief and picked up his first career win. Taylor struck out three and gave up five hits and two earned runs. Reed Butz pitched the final 3 1/3 innings for the save, striking out five and giving up just one hit and a run.
Hamre finished the game 3-for-5 with two home runs, three runs and four RBIs. Reed was 3-for-6 with a run and four RBIs. Gage Gellner had a three-hit game as well, going 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI. Reynolds, David Demeter and Gedeon Ellis each had two hits as well.