From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – Valley City State’s offense stayed hot Monday as the Viking baseball team put up 27 runs during a doubleheader split with Dickinson State University.
Trailing 11-10 late in game one, the Vikings erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as they rallied for a 19-15 victory. The Vikings could not quite complete the sweep though as Dickinson State edged the Vikings 10-9 in the series finale.
JT Reed had a monster doubleheader at the plate for VCSU, hitting for the cycle in game one and blasting three home runs on the day. He finished the doubleheader 6-for-10 with five runs and nine RBIs.
Valley City State wins the four-game series, taking three out of four in the first conference series of the year. The Vikings are now 12-10 overall and 3-1 in conference play. VCSU posted a 5-2 overall record during its trip to Tucson.
Dickinson State is now 8-16 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
Up next: Valley City State travels to Bellevue, Neb., for a four-game conference series at Bellevue University on March 26-27. Dickinson State is scheduled to play at four-game series at Viterbo University on March 26-27.
VCSU 19, Dickinson State 15
The Teams combined for 34 runs and 33 hits in game one of the doubleheader as offense ruled the day.
Dickinson State led 6-5 before both teams scored five runs in the sixth inning to make it 11-10 in favor of the Blue Hawks. It would stay that way until VCSU’s nine-run eighth inning, which included a game-tying double by Drew Nixon and a go-ahead home run by JT Reed before VCSU tacked on six more runs later in the inning.
Reed hit for the cycle as he went 4-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs. David Demeter also homered and hit two doubles as he went 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs. Avery Bennefeld hit two doubles and was 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs. Drew Nixon, Sal Avila and Jayden Shipman all had two hits each.
Cade Ostenson and Dawson Cortese both homered for Dickinson State. Cortese finished 2-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs. Derrick Calvillo and Mathias Dufner each had three hits for the Blue Hawks, and Ostenson went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs.
William Hlady started on the mound for VCSU and went five innings, allowing five hits and six runs while striking out four. Adam Thompson earned the win after pitching the final 3 1/3 innings for the Vikings. He held Dickinson State scoreless for his first 2 1/3 innings, allowing VCSU to take the lead with its eighth-inning rally.
Dickinson State 9, VCSU 8
Dickinson State avoided a series sweep as the Blue Hawks held off VCSU in the series finale, 9-8.
Dustin Mertz and JT Reed both homered in the third inning as VCSU put up six runs to take a 6-4 lead. The Blue Hawks would score in each of the next three innings to take a 9-6 lead. Valley City State trimmed the deficit to 9-8 on another JT Reed home run in the sixth, but Dickinson State’s Richie Cortese took the mound for the final 1 1/3 innings to save the victory for Dickinson.
VCSU finished with 16 hits while Dickinson State had 10 hits. The Vikings committed five errors compared to just one for Dickinson.
Reed had another big game for VCSU, hitting two home runs as he went 2-for-5 with two runs and five RBIs. Mertz went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Judson Seliskar had three hits for VCSU, while Avery Bennefeld, Drew Nixon and Jaden Babiuk all had two hits each.
Dawson Cortese homered twice for the Blue Hawks, going 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs. Cade Ostenson and Kobe Krenz each had two hits for the Blue Hawks.
Cade Kazmirski picked up the win for Dickinson State, pitching 2 2/3 innings. He allowed four hits and two runs while striking out four. Richie Cortese struck out three in his 1 1/3 innings for the save.