VALLEY CITY, N.D. (vcsuvikings.com) – The Valley City State softball team was down to its final out on Sunday, trailing 10-5 during game one of a doubleheader with Bellevue University. That final out never happened.
The Vikings put together six straight two-out singles – tying the game at 10-10 – and then Marissa Hawkins hit a walk-off grand slam to complete a stunning comeback. When the celebration ended the Vikings had scored nine runs with two outs, rallying for an improbable 14-10 victory.
Bellevue earned a doubleheader split with a 10-1 victory in game two as pitcher Cory Carrillo flirted with a perfect game.
The come-from-behind win by VCSU in game one secured a series victory for the Vikings. In a series pitting the top two teams in the NSAA standings, the Vikings won three out of four games and strengthened their hold on first place. VCSU is now 17-5 overall and 10-2 in conference play. Bellevue University moves to 23-16 overall and 9-5 in the NSAA.
VCSU senior Joelle Aiello had three hits Sunday as she moved into second place all-time at VCSU with 218 career hits. Aiello passed Kelli Moore (217 hits) and is closing in on the school record of 237 career hits held by Cyndi Figol.
Up next: Valley City State is scheduled to play a conference doubleheader Wednesday, April 14, at Mayville State. Those games will likely be postponed due to the current forecast calling for a high of 35 degrees on Wednesday. Bellevue is scheduled to host Dickinson State for a four-game series April 17-18.
VCSU 14, Bellevue University 10
Marissa Hawkins started and ended VCSU’s nine-run seventh inning, scoring twice in the final inning as the Vikings rallied for a 14-10 victory.
Trailing 10-5 entering the bottom of the seventh, Hawkins was the first Viking to reach base after being hit by a pitch with one out in the inning. Makenzee Stone then flied out and the Vikings were down to their final out. What followed was a stunning rally. Riley Perryman, Autumn Perry, Andrea Rodriguez, Jessica Husband, Joelle Aiello and Anne-Elise Gest delivered six straight singles, tying the game at 10-10 after Gest pulled a pitch through the right side of the infield and scored Husband.
Bellevue then elected to intentionally walk Sierra Crocker to load the bases. On the second pitch of her at bat, Hawkins lifted a deep fly ball over the right-center fence, setting off a raucous celebration at home plate. The walk-off grand slam by Hawkins was her second home run of the day and the last of nine home runs hit during game one.
Hawkins finished the game 2-for-4 with three runs, two home runs and five RBIs. Riley Perryman hit a solo home run in the second inning and went 2-for-3. Crocker blasted a three-run home run in the third inning, giving the Vikings a 4-2 lead at the time. Aiello, Husband, Perryman and Hawkins all had two hits for the Vikings.
Maricela Egan hit two home runs for Bellevue, including a solo home run in the fifth inning and a two-run shot in the sixth inning that put the Bruins up 8-5. Ashley Young, Lauren Jurek and Madison Machacek also homered for the Bruins.
The Vikings finished with 14 runs on 13 hits. Bellevue scored its 10 runs on 14 hits. Five different Bruins had two hits each. Egan led the way with a 2-for-4 game, scoring twice and driving in three on her two home runs.
Bellevue University 10, VCSU 1 (6 innings)
While game one was all about the offense, game two’s storyline was a strong pitching performance. Bellevue’s Cory Carrillo was one out away from pitching a perfect game before VCSU junior Jessica Husband broke it up with a sixth-inning double.
Carrillo ended up limiting VCSU’s high-powered offense to just two hits and one run in Bellevue’s 10-1 victory. She did not walk a batter and struck out four over six innings in the circle.
Egan hit two more home runs in game two, giving her four home runs on the day. She went 3-for-4 and had six RBIs to power the Bruin’s offense in the victory. Ellie Bliemeister added a home run and three RBIs.
Husband and Aiello collected VCSU’s only hits with back-to-back doubles in the sixth inning.
Viking starting pitcher Emily Smith suffered her first loss of the season after allowing eight hits and 10 runs over 5 1/3 innings. Smith now has an 11-1 record on the season.