From VCSU Athletics
CASSELTON, N.D. – Valley City State softball senior Riley Perryman set a new school record with her 25th career home run Wednesday as the Vikings split a conference doubleheader with Mayville State.
Perryman was one of four Vikings to homer Wednesday, in addition to Joelle Aiello (2), Anne-Elise Gest and Marissa Hawkins.
VCSU took the first game by final score of 7-2 and dropped the second game 7-4. The Vikings are now 23-14 on the season and 10-4 in conference play. Mayville moves to 8-19 overall and 5-7 in the NSAA.
VCSU and Mayville will conclude the conference series on Thursday in Valley City. The doubleheader is slated for 3/5 p.m.
VCSU 7, Mayville 2
The Vikings got on the board early and sealed the victory with a four-run sixth inning in the first game Wednesday. Hawkins hit a two-run blast in the first inning and Gest added a solo shot in the fourth to build a 3-0 lead.
Mayville closed the gap to 3-2 on a home run from Mackenzie Hughes in the fifth inning. The Vikings then posted four runs in the sixth including an RBI double from Michelle Krahn and a two-run single by Aiello.
Joelle Lamontagne got the win in the circle after pitching a complete game and now holds a 13-5 record on the season. She allowed two runs on eight hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out eight. VCSU collected 11 hits as a team Wednesday led by Aiello who was 3-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBIs while Gest went 2-for-3 and scored two runs.
Mayville’s Annika Seedborg got the loss after allowing three runs on six hits in 5 innings of work. She walked one and struck out three. Sidney Fairbanks and Payton Doerksen each pitched in relief.
Hughes led the Comets at the plate with two hits including a home run, and Ashlyn Tingey added a double.
Mayville 7, VCSU 4
Mayville State scored six runs in the sixth inning in a comeback victory in game two Wednesday.
Mayville’s Nicole Fierro hit a solo home run in the second inning to open scoring in the game. Aiello’s triple in the third inning drove in Ashlynne Copinga to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the fifth, Aiello and Riley Perryman hit back-to-back homers to build a 3-1 advantage.
Then in the sixth inning, Mayville’s Sadie Mathews and Mackenzie Hughes each doubled and Brooke Roeges tripled as they combined to drive in five runs. Roeges then scored on a wild pitch to round out the Comets’ big inning.
Aiello homered again in the bottom of the seventh inning but Mayville’s pitcher Courtney Boll pitched out of the inning to finish the 7-4 victory.
Brooke Gaudry worked all six innings in the loss. She allowed seven runs on 10 hits while walking four and striking out one. Aiello again fueled the Viking offense with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate including two home runs and three RBIs. Perryman went 2-for-3 with a home run, and Copinga and Jessica Husband each added a hit for VCSU.
Boll pitched a complete game for the Comets and allowed four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out a season-high 12 batters.
Huges and Roeges each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs Wednesday. Jocelyn Ontiveros went 2-for-4 with a double, and Fierro scored a pair of runs for the Comets.