From VCSU Athletics

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – The Valley City State baseball team scored 15 runs on 15 hits Wednesday afternoon, slugging its way to a 15-12 victory during the team’s first game in Tucson, Arizona.

The Vikings scored in four of the first five innings as they built leads of 8-2 and 14-8 en route to the victory.

David Demeter hit a grand slam – his fifth home run of the season – and also tripled as he drove in five of VCSU’s runs. Jayden Shipman also had two hits and drove in three runs for the Vikings.

Seven different Vikings pitched in the victory. Ryan Reynolds started and worked two scoreless innings. Dustin Mertz also pitched two innings in relief, as did Marcus Niemann who picked up the win. Harrison Metz, Jace Hanson and Reed Butz all pitched in relief as well, and Demeter pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save of the season.

Valley City State struck first when an RBI triple by Demeter in the bottom of the first inning scored Jaden Babiuk for an early 1-0 lead. The Vikings tacked on four more runs in the third inning, which included a 2-run double by Shipman. A pair of bases-loaded walks in the fourth inning helped the Vikings build an 8-2 lead after four innings.

Macalester put together a six-run rally in the top of the fifth, but the Vikings had the answer in the bottom of the inning. Zach Veneman opened the inning with a double, Dustin Mertz drew a walk and Jaden Babiuk reached safely on a bunt to load the bases. Demeter stepped to the plate and hit a no-doubt grand slam over the left-field fence, regaining the lead for VCSU at 12-8. Carter Dodd would add a two-run single later in the inning to put the Vikings up 14-8.

Back-to-back singles by Veneman and Avery Bennefeld in the eighth inning helped the Vikings tack on an insurance run.

VCSU finished with six extra-base hits, including doubles by Sal Avila, Drew Nixon, Shipman and Veneman to go along with Demeter’s triple and home run. Nine different Vikings had at least one hit and six Vikings had two hits each.

Demeter went 2-for-5 with two runs and five RBIs. Shipman was 2-for-4 with a run and three RBIs. Babiuk had two hits, scored three runs and drove in one. Nixon was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Avila went 2-for-4, scored twice and drove in a run, and Veneman was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.

Up next: Valley City State (8-8) faces Gustavus Adolphus on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. CT in Tucson.