MADISON, S.D. (NewsDakota.com)– The Valley City State softball team finished its series at Dakota State with a 4-0 conference record after sweeping the Trojans both Thursday and Friday on the road. VCSU defeated the Trojans 12-2 in 5 innings and 10-2 in 6 innings Friday.
VCSU totaled 21 hits, including nine for extra bases, on the day. VCSU improves to 15-12 overall while Dakota State falls to 4-21 on the season and 0-4 to open conference play.
The Vikings are slated to host Bellevue University for its home opener April 5-6 at the VCSU Softball Complex.
VCSU 12, Dakota State 2 (5 innings)
Valley City State picked up a 12-2 win in just five innings as Logan Gronberg and Maddy Zander each finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and home run apiece.
Gronberg homered in the first inning to open the game with a 1-0 lead. VCSU erupted for five runs in the third inning including an RBI double from Kylee Banerd’s and a 3-run homer from Zander.
The Vikings then expanded its lead to 9-0 in the fourth inning with a 2-run double by Gronberg paired with an RBI single from Alyssa DePoorter. Dakota State escaped the shutout in the bottom of the fourth on Hannah McFarland’s 2-run single to left field.
VCSU sealed the win in five innings with a 3-run single from Makenzee Stone paired with a fielding error by the Trojans.
Gronberg and Zander each finished with three hits while Kylee Banerd, Katelyn MacNeill and Makenzee Stone each added two. Gronberg drove in three runs and scored two, while Stone and Banerd scored two runs apiece.
Zander earned the win in the circle after pitching all 5 innings. She allowed two runs on five hits, walked four and struck out six.
Dakota State’s Ally Morrissey finished with two hits and Michelle Evdos doubled Friday. Maycee Bricker got the loss in the circle after starting the game and working 2 and 2/3 innings. She allowed six runs on five hits, walked one and struck out one.
VCSU 10, Dakota State 2 (6 innings)
The Vikings then defeated the Trojans 10-2 in just six innings with the help of a 2-run homer from Banerd to put the game away by run rule.
VCSU opened scoring in the first inning on Gronberg’s RBI single and later expanded its lead on her bases-clearing double in the second inning. After Ashlyn Diemert drove in a pair of runs on a double to left-center field in the second inning, the Vikings held a 7-0 lead.
Dakota State didn’t go down without a fight as Morrissey and McFarland each drove in a run in the third and fifth innings, respectively. With VCSU leading 8-2, Banerd delivered a 2-run homer to left field to put the Vikings ahead 10-2. The Trojans put runners on first and second base in the bottom half of the inning, but Cooper Klaahsen entered the game and retired three straight batters to take the game by mercy rule.
Gronberg and Diemert each posted two hits in the game, including a double apiece. Gronberg drove in a game-high four runs and Diemert drove in two. DePoorter doubled and Banerd homered for the Vikings while Banerd, Makenzee Stone and Avery Kuklinski each scored two runs.
Madison Hazelton earned the win in the circle after pitching 3 and 2/3 innings. She allowed two runs on two hits, walked five and struck out five. Cooper Klaahsen started in the circle and re-entered the game in the final inning to total 2 and 1/3 innings pitched. She allowed just one hit while striking out two.
Makenna McGee got the loss for the Trojans after pitching 1 and 2/3 innings. She allowed seven runs on four hits and walked two. Dakota State totaled just three hits in the game including one apiece from Morrissey, Julia Maldonado and Hannah Feser.