From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – The Valley City State softball team swept Presentation College in a pair of conference games Thursday afternoon in Aberdeen.
The Vikings won both games by mercy rule, first 10-0 in 5 innings and then 9-1 in 6 innings. VCSU has now won 15 of its games by the 8-run rule. VCSU improves to 29-15 on the season and 16-5 in conference play. Presentation drops to 11-26 overall and 5-17 in the NSAA.
The Vikings are scheduled to host Dakota State on Sunday at 2/4 p.m. for Senior Day. VCSU Green Dot will sponsor the conference doubleheader with a free tailgate meal of hotdogs, chips and water.
VCSU 10, Presentation 0 (5 innings)
Joelle Lamontagne pitched her fourth shutout of the season as the Vikings cruised to a 10-0 victory after just 5 innings. Lamontagne (17-5) allowed just four hits and struck out two batters in the win.
The Vikings scored in each of the first three innings to build a 6-0 advantage. In the top of the fourth inning, Riley Perryman was hit by a pitch followed by a single from Jessica Husband. After Marissa Hawkins walked, Anne-Elise Gest smashed a grand slam to round out the 10-0 final score.
Gest, Husband, Hawkins, Ashlyn Diemert and Joelle Aiello each had two hits for the Vikings with Gest adding a home run and Hawkins and Diemert each recording a double. Gest drove in five of VCSU’s 10 runs while Hawkins and Aiello each scored two.
Presentation’s Yulissa Pena got the loss in the circle after going all 5 innings while allowing 10 runs on 11 hits while walking five and striking out three. Camille Vestal, Skye Carter, Bella Pinotti and Cassy Loa each had a hit for the Saints.
VCSU 9, Presentation 1 (6 innings)
The Vikings pounded 14 hits en route to a 9-1 victory in a 6-inning game next. Joelle Aiello kicked off scoring with a 3-run homer and Ashlyn Diemert added a 2-run double to put the Vikings ahead 5-0 after three innings.
Diemert later drove in another run on an RBI single in the fifth, and doubles from Aiello and Riley Perryman scored three Viking runs in the sixth.
Presentation scored its only run in the bottom of the sixth on two-out RBI single from Chloe Dominger but one final groundout finished the game.
Joelle Aiello led the Vikings with a double, a home run, two runs and four RBIs in the game. Aiello now totals 14 home runs this season, just one home run shy of record-holder Kelly Unrein who had 15 home runs in the 2006 season. Perryman, Diemert and Husband each doubled, and six Vikings tallied two hits apiece.
Joelle Lamontagne started in the circle and pitched 2 innings while allowing two hits. Brooke Gaudry got the win in the circle after working 4 innings in relief. She allowed just one run on five hits, walked one and struck out one.
Presentation’s Sarah Shevenell got the loss in the circle after allowing nine runs on 14 hits in 6 innings of work. She walked one and struck out five. Dominger and Yulissa Pena each had two hits to lead the Saints and Pena scored Presentation’s only run.