LACROSSE, WI (vcsuvikings.com) – Valley City State swept Viterbo University in a baseball doubleheader Sunday afternoon, winning 9-3 and 5-4.

The pair of wins salvaged a series split for VCSU as the teams went 2-2 against each other during the four-game series.

The Vikings improve to 15-20 overall and 8-6 in conference play. VCSU is currently third in the NSAA standings. Viterbo drops to 12-20 overall and 7-11 in conference play.

Up next: Valley City State plays a conference doubleheader at Mayville State on Wednesday, April 21. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Vikings are back home this weekend for a four-game series against Waldorf University on Saturday and Sunday.

VCSU 9, Viterbo 3
Jorun Hamre hit a third-inning grand slam as the Viking baseball team won game one on Sunday, 9-3.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the third, the Vikings loaded the bases on hits by Gedeon Ellis and JT Reed and a walk by David Demeter. Hamre then launched one over the fence for his ninth home run of the season and a 4-1 Viking lead.

The Vikings did not trail the rest of the way, adding two more runs in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Gedeon Ellis and a bases-loaded hit by pitch drawn by David Demeter. Dustin Mertz and Zach Veneman both hit home runs in the seventh inning, opening up a 9-1 Viking lead.

Chase Feller picked up the win after pitching 6 2/3 innings. Feller gave up just two four hits and two runs – only one earned. He struck out nine and walked only two. Mitch Taylor pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief, striking out three and allowing two hits and one run.

Ellis, Veneman and Adam Thompson each had two hits for the Vikings. Eight different Vikings scored runs, including two by Ryan Reynolds. JT Reed had two stolen bases, giving him a team-high 13 steals this season.

VCSU 5, Viterbo 4
The Vikings built a 5-1 lead and then held off Viterbo down the stretch for a 5-4 victory in the series finale.

Gedeon Ellis and JT Reed led off the game with back-to-back hits and then came in to score on a sacrifice fly by David Demeter and an RBI single from Jorun Hamre.

Reed followed with an RBI single in the second inning, scoring Carter Dodd for a 3-0 Viking lead. In the fifth inning, Demeter hit a two-run home run – his eighth of the season – to put the Vikings ahead 5-1.

Viterbo cut the deficit to 5-4 with three runs in the fifth inning, but could get no closer and stranded the tying run on third base to end the game.

Marcus Niemann earned the victory for VCSU, pitching 4 1/3 innings on the mound. He allowed six hits and four runs, walked four and struck out two. William Hlady pitched 2 2/3 innings for the save. He gave up three hits and no runs, and struck out two.

Reed and Dustin Mertz each had a pair of hits. Demeter drove in three of VCSU’s five runs. Reed and Hamre each had an RBI as well.