From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – The Valley City State baseball team opened its four-game series at Presentation College with a doubleheader split on Friday.
After being delayed for an hour due to wet field conditions, the Vikings picked up a 14-9 win in game one. VCSU pounded out 15 hits in the victory, which included a 7-run eighth inning. In game two, Presentation College earned a split with a 9-6 win over the Vikings.
VCSU is now 16-18 overall and 6-8 in the North Star Athletic Association. Presentation College moves to 5-31 overall and 3-11 in conference play.
Up next: The Vikings and Saints will finish their series with another doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Saturday’s start time was originally 12 p.m., but it has been moved back an hour to take advantage of warmer temperatures.
VCSU 14, Presentation College 9
Valley City State scored seven runs in the top of the eighth inning, breaking a 4-4 tie en route to a 14-9 victory in game one against Presentation College.
Drew Nixon‘s 2-run single in the eighth inning starting the seven-run rally, all of which came with two outs. The Vikings scored two more runs on a throwing error, added two more runs on a pair of double steals and then capped the big inning with an RBI triple off the bat of Ryan Reynolds.
VCSU added three insurance runs in the ninth inning, including solo home runs by Sal Avila and Avery Bennefeld. Chase Feller also homered in the game for VCSU, hitting a pinch-hit solo shot in the top of the sixth inning that tied the game at 4-4.
Adam Thompson earned the win on the mound after pitching three strong innings of relief. Thompson worked the sixth, seventh and eight innings, scattering four hits and one run while striking out three. Marcus Niemann started and pitched the first five innings, allowing five hits and four runs. Niemann walked two and struck out four.
Bennefeld led the way at the plate for VCSU, going 3-for-5 with four runs and his solo home run. Nixon was 2-for-6 with three RBIs, and both Ryan Reynolds and Christian Ramirez had two hits and an RBI. Reynolds hit a double and a triple – both of which came in the eighth inning. Six other Vikings had one hits each.
Valley City State finished with 14 runs on 15 hits. The Vikings committed one error. Presentation College scored its nine runs on 13 hits. The Saints committed one error.
Presentation College 9, VCSU 6
Presentation College earned a split with a 9-6 win in game two of Friday’s doubleheader.
VCSU finished with six runs on seven hits, while the Saints put up nine runs on 11 hits. The teams were tied 5-5 after two and a half innings, but the Saints put up two runs in the third and two more in the fourth to take the lead for good.
Ryan Reynolds drove in three runs for VCSU, including an RBI double in the second inning and a two-run single in the third inning. Christian Ramirez had an RBI single to start a four-run third inning for the Vikings, and Jayden Shipman added an RBI double.
Reynolds went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead VCSU’s offense, while Ramirez was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.
Chase Feller started on the mound and took the loss, giving up eight hits and six earned runs over three inning of work. Harrison Metz and Jace Hanson pitched the final three innings, which included two scoreless innings by Hanson.