From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – Two extra-inning games, 22 total innings and eight runs by each team. Thursday’s Valley City State-Mayville State baseball doubleheader was about as even as it gets.
VCSU senior Jayden Shipman drove home the winning run with an eighth-inning infield single in game two, securing a 2-1 walk-off victory for Valley City State and a doubleheader split. Mayville State won a thrilling game one, picking up a 7-6 victory on an RBI single by Ricky Marquez in the top of the 14th inning.
Valley City State is now 20-20 overall and 11-11 in conference play. Mayville State moves to 16-21 overall and 13-13 in conference play. With just two games remaining, the Vikings and Comets are currently in a four-way tie for third place in the NSAA standings. VCSU (11-11), Mayville (13-13), Waldorf (10-10) and Dickinson State (9-9) are all currently .500 in the conference. With an uneven amount of games played this year, winning percentage will be used to determine the final conference standings.
Up next: Valley City State is scheduled to host Mayville State on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the season finale. The game could potentially be pushed to Monday if weather dictates a postponement. Sunday is also Senior Day for Valley City State.
Mayville State 7, VCSU 6 (14 innings)
Valley City State held leads of 4-2 and 6-4, but each time Mayville State had the answer in game one. After the Comets tied the game 6-6 in the top of the ninth, the teams played four scoreless extra innings before Marquez drove home the winning run in the top of the 14th.
The Comets scored their seven runs on 13 hits and did not commit an error. Valley City State scored six runs on 15 hits and committed three errors.
An RBI single by Jared McCorrister gave the Comets a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, but Valley City State answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. David Demeter and Drew Nixon both drove in runs with RBI singles, and Jayden Shipman capped the rally with a two-run triple for a 4-2 lead.
Mayville State tied the game 4-4 on a two-run double by Alan LaRocque in the top of the seventh. The Vikings again answered back, getting an RBI double by Avery Bennefeld and a sacrifice fly by David Demeter to regain a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh. The Comets cut the deficit in half in the eighth inning, and then tied the game in the ninth off VCSU closer David Demeter.
The teams combined to go scoreless for the next four innings before the Comets pushed across the go-ahead run in the 14th.
Marcus Niemann started on the mound for the Vikings and went 5 2/3 strong innings, allowing just four hits and two runs. He walked four and struck out seven. Adam Thompson pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief, giving up three hits and three runs – only one of which was earned. Demeter pitched the ninth and then Zach Veneman gave the Vikings a chance in extra innings, pitching five innings while allowing just four hits and the one run. Veneman walked only one and struck out four.
Gunner Thompson and Gregor Farquharson combined to pitch eight scoreless innings out of the bullpen for Mayville. Thompson worked three innings, striking out five and allowing just two hits. Farquharson pitched the final five scoreless innings for the win, scattering just three hits and striking out four.
Jaden Babiuk was 3-for-6 for VCSU at the plate. Dustin Mertz, Bennefeld, Drew Nixon, Shipman and Judson Seliskar all had two hits each. Demeter and Shipman each drove in two runs.
McCorrister was 3-for-7 with an RBI to lead Mayville, while Marcus Hughes went 3-for-6 with a run. LaRocque drove in two runs and drew four walks.
VCSU 2, Mayville State 1 (8 innings)
With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, VCSU senior Jayden Shipman drove home the winning run with an infield single – setting off a walk-off celebration and ending a pitcher’s duel in game two.
After being held scoreless for the first six innings, the Vikings tied the game in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. In the eighth, Dustin Mertz drew a one-out walk and Avery Bennefeld followed with a double to put the winning run on third. Demeter walked to load the bases and Drew Nixon struck out, setting up Shipman’s dramatic game-winning at bat.
Both starting pitchers were locked in on the mound. VCSU senior William Hlady gave up just two hits and the one run over his seven innings of work. Hlady struck out 10 and walked just two. Brooks Brown pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Vikings and earned the win.
Mayville State’s Braxton Greenberg went the distance, scattering seven hits and allowing just two runs – only one of which was earned. He walked only two and struck out 11.
Seven different players had VCSU’s seven hits. LaRocque and Satrom had Mayville’s two hits.