DICKINSON, N.D. (vsuvikings.com) – Valley City State erupted for a season-high 15 runs in game one Saturday afternoon as the Vikings split a non-conference baseball doubleheader at Dickinson State.
The Vikings pounded out eight extra-base hits – including Colton Berg‘s first career home run – as they won 15-7 in game one of the doubleheader. Dickinson State won a close game two, holding off the Vikings by a score of 8-6.
Valley City State is now 6-14 overall this season. Dickinson State has a 2-10 record.
Up next: Valley City State is scheduled to start conference play with a four-game series at Dakota State on March 26-27. The date and location of those games is subject to change as the teams monitor weather and field conditions.
VCSU 15, Dickinson State 7
The Vikings collected five extra-base hits and scored five runs in the top of the first inning and never trailed in the nine-inning game to start Saturday’s doubleheader.
Gedeon Ellis started the game with a triple to open the first-inning floodgates. David Demeter, Dustin Mertz, Drew Nixon and Gage Gellner all followed with doubles in the inning to put the Vikings up 5-0.
Dickinson State was able to trim the Viking lead to 5-4 before VCSU scored 10 runs over the final three innings to put the game away. Berg dealt the final blow, a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning.
Grafton natives Tyler Kliniske and Matthew Suda combined to pitch nine strong innings for the Vikings. Kliniske started and went 3 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and three runs. He struck out four and walked six. Suda entered in relief in the fourth inning and went the rest of the way to earn the win. Suda allowed six hits and four runs, striking out six and walking one.
JT Reed was 2-for-5 with three runs and five RBIs for the Vikings. He helped spark VCSU’s late outburst with a two-run triple in the seventh and a two-run single in the eighth.
Berg finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Gellner was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Seven other Vikings had one hit each.
Dickinson State 8, VCSU 6
VCSU again started fast in game two, taking a 2-0 lead on Adam Thompson‘s two-run single in the top of the first inning. The Vikings were unable to hold the lead though as Dickinson scored in five straight innings en route to an 8-6 win.
Dickinson State took a 7-4 lead into the sixth inning before VCSU cut the deficit to 7-6 on a two-run home run by Jorun Hamre. Dickinson State added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. The Vikings were able to put the tying run on base in the top of the seventh before Dickinson pitcher Tyler Gray worked out of the jam with two strikeouts to end the game.
Gedeon Ellis went 2-for-3 and scored a run for the Vikings. Hamre was 1-for-1 with his pinch-hit two-run home run. Thompson finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Four other Vikings had one hit each.
Marcus Niemann started on the mound and went three innings. William Hlady and Dustin Mertz both pitched in relief.