From VCSU Athletics
DICKINSON, ND. (vcsuvikings.com) – The Valley City State softball team completed a series sweep over Dickinson State Monday afternoon in Dickinson.
The Vikings opened Monday with a 17-16 victory from a game that had been halted on Sunday due to darkness. VCSU then went on to take a 17-5 win in five innings and an 11-7 victory in its final game of the day.
The Vikings finished the four-game series with a .424 team batting average, 13.5 runs per game, 13 doubles and 10 home runs.
VCSU improves to 17-10 on the season and opens conference play with a 4-0 record. Dickinson State falls to 8-18 on the season and 0-4 in conference play.
VCSU 17, Dickinson 16
Valley City State finished with a 17-16 victory Monday after Joelle Aiello drew a walk to score VCSU’s final run in the high scoring affair.
The Vikings tied the game at 13-13 with a 2-run homer from Aiello in the bottom of the fifth inning. Riley Perryman immediately followed with a solo shot to left field to lead 14-13. The game was then halted due to darkness and resumed Monday in the top of the sixth.
The Blue Hawks took a 16-14 lead in the top of the seventh, but VCSU answered in the bottom half of the inning. Marissa Hawkins scored on a Dickinson error to trail by just a run. Down to their last out with the bases loaded, VCSU’s Ashlynne Copinga drove in a run with a single to left field, and Aiello drew a walk to finish the game.
The Vikings powered 16 hits including home runs from Aiello, Perryman (2), Sierra Crocker, and Ashlyn Diemert. Aiello was 3-for-5, scored three runs and drove in four. Crocker was 3-for-4 and scored two runs for the Vikings. Perryman and Jessica Husband tallied two hits and three RBIs each, and Perryman swiped the plate four times in the game.
Marissa Hawkins got the win for the Vikings after pitching 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on five hits, walking seven and striking out two. Brooke Gaudry started in the circle and went 2 2/3 innings, allowing 10 runs on eight hits, walking five and striking out one.
Dickinson State powered 13 hits, led by Ari Martinez who went 4-for-5 at the plate including a 3-run homer. Martinez also got the loss in the circle for Dickinson State. She allowed 17 runs on 14 hits over 4 2/3 innings while walking four and striking out one.
VCSU 17, Dickinson 5 (5 innings)
Valley City State needed just five innings to finish the next game, scoring at least three runs in each frame. Jessica Husband hit a 3-run bomb in the second inning and Marissa Hawkins added a 3-run homer in the third to power VCSU’s offense.
Dickinson State Softball notched five runs in the third inning including a home run from Kara Conway, but it wasn’t enough for the Blue Hawks Monday.
Joelle Lamontagne got the win after tossing a complete game, allowing five runs on nine hits. She struck out five and did not walk a batter.
The Viking offense totaled 12 hits in the game led by Husband who went 3-for-4 with three runs and seven RBIs. Anne-Elise Gest added three hits and scored a run, and Andrea Rodriguez added two hits and scored three runs for VCSU. Aiello drove in two runs and scored three, and Ashlynne Copinga scored three runs Monday.
Dallis Michell got the loss for Dickinson State after 1 1/3 innings of work, allowing eight runs on five hits and walking two. Ari Martinez went 2-for-3 at the plate and Conway drove in three runs for the Blue Hawks.
VCSU 11, Dickinson 7
Valley City State scored eight runs in the first inning Monday en route to an 11-7 victory in the series finale at Dickinson State.
Aiello led off the first inning with her third home run of the series to open scoring and later added a two-run double. RBI singles from Ashlyn Diemert, Riley Perryman and Jessica Husband helped the Vikings to an early 8-0 lead.
Perryman added an RBI double in the third inning. Then in the sixth, Jessica Husband added an RBI single, and Marissa Hawkins hit an RBI double to round out VCSU’s 11 runs in the game.
Aiello went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three doubles and a home run. She scored four runs and drove in three. Perryman went 3-for-4 with two doubles, scored one run and drove in two. Hawkins and Husband added two hits and two RBIs apiece.
Joelle Lamontagne pitched 5 innings and got the win in the circle for VCSU. She allowed two runs on six hits, walked two and struck out six. Marissa Hawkins threw 2 innings in relief and allowed five runs on four hits while walking four and striking out two.
Madeline Peralta got the loss for Dickinson after working 2/3 of an inning, allowing eight runs on five hits and walking three. Ari Martinez pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief, allowing three runs on nine hits. She struck out six and did not walk a batter.
Dickinson State totaled 10 hits in the game including a home run from Emilie Sickler. Ari Martinez went 3-for-4 at the plate while Dallis Michell scored two runs for the Blue Hawks.