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CITY, N.D (NewsDakota.com) It was about more than just baseball at Charlie Brown field where the Valley City State Vikings hosted Mayville State in a double header on Friday afternoon. It was the first game back on the field for VCSU since the passing of their catcher Dan Buehner on Monday morning. Together the two teams honored their fallen brother of the game by sporting warm ups with Buehner’s number and initials and simply getting back to playing the game that he loved.
The day opened with a moment of silence before the two teams took the field for game one. While it looked like the Vikings would be triumphant for the first time this year against the Comets, Mayville would come back to capture a 3-2 win in the seventh inning. The second game was all about the Comets as the topped the Vikings 14-3.
Game One: Vikings 2 vs Comets 3
Despite a tremendous performance on the mound form Valley City’s Bryce Venaas, who allowed just four hits and two earned runs, the Vikings could not hold to the lead.
Viking got on the board first in the third inning when Cole Honl drove an RBI single into the gap in right and center field. The Vikings second run would come just an inning later when Anthony Meyer scored from second on a double by Jared Meiklejohn. That would be the last run for the Vikings in the game.
The Comets would tie the game in the sixth when a routine double play with one out turned into an error that scored Aaron Miller. Just one batter later, John Pistulka would drive in the tying run with a single to right field. In the seventh, Rowdy Dove started the inning for the Comets with a leadoff single. With Brandon Weber pinch running for the Comets first basemen, the Comets would complete the comeback two batters later when Spencer Mallonee hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
Mayville State’s Alex Brockpahler earned the win despite giving up 10 hits through six innings.
Game Two: Vikings 3 vs Comets 14
In the second game, the Comets found the offense that had been missing in game one earning scoring 14 runs on 13 hits.
Chip Rosales held the Comets scoreless through the first two innings, but ran into trouble in the when the Comets got to him for three runs. Mayville State would repeat that performance in the fourth pushing the Vikings pitcher off the mound. Another three runs would be scored by the Comets in the fifth before a five run sixth inning topped off the scoring for Mayville State.
The Vikings scored one run a piece in the final three innings.
Mayville State’s Aaron Dick pitched a complete game holding the Vikings to just three hits and three runs.
The Vikings will continue their weekend series with the Comets tomorrow afternoon on the road at Mayville State.