From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – The Valley City State softball team outscored Viterbo 38-9 in a three game sweep over the V-Hawks Saturday in its home opener.
VCSU batted .538 with seven home runs, seven doubles and a triple on the day. VCSU’s pitchers held the V-Hawks to just nine runs Saturday while collecting 12 strikeouts. All three games were decided by run rule in just five innings with final scores of 14-1, 10-2 and 14-6.
Marissa Hawkins feuled the Viking offense on Saturday, going 8-for-9 at the plate with three home runs and a double. Jessica Husband drove in a team-high seven runs – including a 3-run blast – while Hawkins and Joelle Aiello each drove in six runs for VCSU. Aiello was 7-for-9 on Saturday with two home runs and a triple for the Vikings. Ashlynne Copinga stole five bases in five attempts Saturday.
VCSU improves to 21-13 on the season and 7-3 in the conference. Viterbo drops to 3-24 overall and 0-11 in the NSAA.
VCSU and Viterbo are scheduled to play the series finale on Sunday, weather permitting. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the VCSU Softball Complex.
VCSU 14, Viterbo 1 (5 innings)
Joelle Lamotagne held the V-Hakws to just two hits and one run in the first game of the day as VCSU exploded with 13 hits and 14 runs in its home opener Saturday.
The Vikings posted seven runs in the first inning, including six runs with two outs in the inning. VCSU then added a run in the third inning on an RBI single from Andrea Rodriguez and tacked on six more runs in the fourth highlighted by a 2-run homer from Marissa Hawkins.
Hawkins went 3-for-3 at the plate while Riley Perryman, Ashlyn Diemert, Andrea Rodriguez and Ashlynne Copinga added two hits apiece. Diemert, Copinga, Hawkins and Anne-Elise Gest each swiped the plate twice for VCSU. Rodriguez drove in a team-best three runs in the game.
Joelle Lamontagne worked all five innings and allowed just two hits and one run Saturday. She did not walk a single batter and struck out five.
Ella Driebel got the loss in the circle after pitching 3 1/3 innings. She allowed 12 runs on 11 hits and struck out one. Delaney Ryan tossed 2/3 of an inning in relief. Emily Roberts and Morgan James each had a hit and Roberts scored Viterbo’s only run.
VCSU 10, Viterbo 2 (5 innings)
After a scoreless first inning in game two, VCSU scored in each of the next four innings to pull away with a 10-2 victory.
VCSU’s Mikayla Johnson drove in Hawkins with a sac fly in the second inning, and Jessica Husband and Sierra Crocker each homered in the third to build a 5-1 lead. The Vikings pulled away with four more runs in the third inning with a solo homer from Joelle Aiello and RBI singles from Husband and Hawkins to hold an 8-1 lead.
The V-Hawks posted another run in the fifth on an RBI double from Amanda Bogdonovich to trail 8-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Rodriguez scored Johnson with an RBI double, and Aiello drove in Rodriguez on a single to right-center field to rout Viterbo 10-2 by run rule.
Brooke Gaudry picked up the win in the circle after allowing two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out two. Aiello went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs and two RBIs. Husband went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs.
Delaney Ryan got the loss in the circle after pitching the complete game, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits while walking two and striking out one. Ryan, Brittney Slocum, Amanda Bogdonovich and Jacky Mathews each had a hit in the game.
VCSU 14, Viterbo 6 (5 innings)
In the final game of the day, the Vikings used an eight-run fourth inning to pull away from the V-Hawks. After Viterbo scored a run in the top of the fifth to stay alive at 13-6, Hawkins hit a walkoff homer to center field to finish the game in five innings.
VCSU pounded 17 hits in the game, led by Riley Perryman who went 4-for-4 at the plate, scored two runs and drove in one. Hawkins went 3-for-3 with two home runs, and Aiello went 3-for-3 with one home run and four RBIs. Sierra Crocker and Jessica Husband each drove in a pair of runs, and Crocker and Ashlyn Diemert each doubled in the game.
Marissa Hawkins got the win in the circle after four innings of work. She allowed five runs on nine hits while striking out three. Lamontagne pitched one inning in relief.
Ella Driebel got the loss for Viterbo, working 3 and 1/3 innings and allowing 13 runs on 15 hits. She walked two and struck out one.
Brittney Slocum went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, a home run and scored two runs. Karissa Walsh went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, and Morgan James added a home run for the V-Hawks.