JAMESTOWN (VCSUVikings.com) – Valley City State dropped its Saturday games against Dickinson State University and NCAA Div. II University of Mary played at the Nelson Family Bubble on the University of Jamestown campus.
The Vikings fell to Dickinson State in five innings to open the day despite a fifth inning effort to stay alive. VCSU then tallied 10 hits in a 6-2 setback to the Marauders. VCSU concludes the weekend with a 1-3 record including a win over tournament host University of Jamestown. The Vikings drop to 5-7 overall this season.
The Vikings will have a weekend off before resuming play at the Tucson Invitational Games March 7-13. VCSU will play 12 games during its stretch in Tucson.
Dickinson State 15, VCSU 5 (5 innings)
Madison Hazelton homered in the first inning for VCSU, but Dickinson State scored at least a run in all four innings Saturday and exploded for eight runs in the third inning on its way to a 15-5 win in five innings.
VCSU built a 2-0 lead that was cut in half at the end of the first inning. Dickinson added five runs in the second inning with the help of a 2-run single from Brooke Lijewski. The Blue Hawks added eight runs in the third inning with the help of a bases-clearing triple by Kara Conway and a 2-run single from Jersi Morse.
Trailing 15-2, the Vikings made a solid effort to extend the game in the fifth inning. After Hazelton was hit by a pitch, Kylee Banerd doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Kennadi Stone then drew a walk to load the bases for Alyssa DePoorter, who delivered an RBI single to left field. Maddy Zander also walked to score a run, and Lauren Nixon drove in a run with a base-hit. That would be all the Vikings could score to close the gap to 15-5.
Hazelton homered and doubled for the Vikings while scoring two runs and driving in one. DePoorter and Banerd each doubled, and Zander drove in a pair of runs for VCSU. Cooper Klaahsen got the loss in the circle with 2 and 1/3 innings of work. She allowed five runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out three. Rhyan Sigmeth worked 1 and 2/3 innings in relief and allowed 10 runs on five hits, walked six and struck out four.
Dickinson’s Hope Fath picked up the win after starting in the circle and working 4 and 1/3 innings. She allowed five runs on nine hits, walked two and struck out three. Ava Jahner pitched 2/3 of an inning and struck out two Viking batters.
Allyson Farrington was a home run shy of the cycle Saturday, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a single, double, triple and a walk. She also scored a team-best four runs for Dickinson State. Conway, Morse and Celina Wilharm each added multiple hits, and Conway posted a game-high four RBIs.
UMary 6, VCSU 2
Valley City State then fell 6-2 to UMary after the Marauders scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull away and hold on for the win.
The Marauders held a 2-0 lead in the middle of the third inning with the help of a Sariah Perez home run. Banerd answered with a homer for VCSU in the bottom of the inning to cut the Marauder lead in half. Banerd then drove in Avery Kuklinski to tie the game 2-2 in the fourth inning.
It wasn’t enough though, as UMary found three runs in the fifth inning including RBI singles from Jenel Mallari and Janelle Bergmann. VCSU put runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings but could not find a way to bring them home.
DePoorter went 3-for-4 at the plate and Banerd was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, a home run and two RBIs. Zander got the loss after 5 complete innings of work. She allowed five runs on five hits, walked three and struck out three. Hazelton pitched 2 innings in relief and allowed one run on two hits, walked one and struck out two.
UMary’s Hailey Altenhof picked up the win in the circle after pitching 3 and 1/3 relief innings. She allowed just two hits and struck out four without walking a batter. Hannah Chambers and Elyssa Verploegen each made pitching appearances for the Marauders.
Perez and Emma Kimberling each had two hits in the game. Perez homered and scored three runs for the Marauders, and Kimberling tripled Saturday.