TUCSON, ARIZ. (Courtesy of vikings.vcsu.edu) – Dustin Mertz and Jaden Babiuk combined for 11 RBIs, and Harrison Metz pitched five strong innings Sunday as the Viking baseball team finished its spring trip with a big victory.

Mertz hit a pair of home runs – including a first inning grand slam – to highlight VCSU’s 15-5 win over Carleton College. The game was scheduled for nine innings, but the Vikings won by 10-run rule after seven innings.

Valley City State finishes its spring trip to Tucson with a 3-3 record and is now 5-15 overall.

Harrison Metz started on the mound Sunday and gave the Vikings five strong innings. The sophomore righthander picked up his first collegiate win after allowing just three hits and one run. He struck out two and walked three. Landon Piehl pitched the final two innings, striking out two and allowing three hits and four runs – only one of which was earned.

VCSU’s offense pounded out 13 hits in the victory, including a seven-run first inning and a five-run seventh inning to end the game by run rule.

Mertz’s grand slam in the bottom of the first inning gave the Vikings an early 5-1 lead. Jaden Babiuk followed it with a two-run double later in the inning to put VCSU ahead 7-1. Mertz’s second home run was a 2-run shot in the fourth inning, bringing home Drew Nixon for a 9-1 lead. In the fifth inning, Jett Salonek reached on an error and then later scored on an RBI groundout by Babiuk.

Carleton College scored two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to trim VCSU’s lead to 10-5 entering the bottom of the seventh. The Vikings responded with a five-run inning for a mercy rule walk-off victory. Babiuk started the scoring with a two-run double and then back-to-back RBI singles by Hunter Magnsuon and Tory Nelson plated the final runs and sealed the victory.

Mertz went 2-for-4 at the plate with three runs, two home runs and six RBIs. Babiuk doubled twice and finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs and five RBIs. Babiuk extended his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games.

Adam Thompson was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored, and Tory Nelson went 2-for-4 with a run and the walk-off RBI single. Shane Nixon, Christian Ramirez, Hunter Magnuson and Jay Greuel all had one hit each.

Up next: Valley City State plays a JV game on Monday before returning home to Valley City. The Vikings are scheduled to resume conference play this coming weekend with a four-game series against Bellevue. With VCSU’s field still under heavy snow, those games will likely be played at Bellevue University.