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S.D. (VCSUVikings.com)- The Viking baseball team won its fourth straight series on Sunday, finishing up a series sweep of Dakota State.
VCSU extends its winning steak to nine games and is now 16-2 in the month of April. With the four wins over Dakota State this weekend, the Vikings improve to 24-20 overall and 17-3 in the North Star Athletic Association.
Up next: Valley City State is tentatively scheduled to play a non-conference game Tuesday at the University of Winnipeg. The Vikings will finish the conference season next weekend with four games at the University of Jamestown. VCSU currenlty sits in second in the NSAA standings, two games behind conference leader Bellevue University.
Saturday
Jacob VanVacter and Andrew Frank both delivered complete-game pitching performances as VCSU won 13-3 and 3-0 during the North Star Athletic Association doubleheader. The pair of senior combined two walk just one batter and strike out 16 over 14 innings of work.
VCSU 13, Dakota State 3
Valley City State set the tone early with four runs in the top of the first inning Saturday. VCSU scored three more runs each in the second, third and fourth innings to build an early 13-2 lead. The Vikings ended the game by run-rule after seven innings.
Valley City State scored its 13 runs on 11 hits. VCSU did not commit an error. Dakota State had three runs on five hits and committed one error.
VanVacter went the distance on the mound for VCSU, walking only one and striking out eight. He gave up five hits and three earned runs.
Jared Meiklejohn went 4-for-5 with four runs and two RBIs from the leadoff position for the Vikings. Brady Anderson and Grant Wehseler each had two hits and two RBIs. Anthony Necochea added a pair of hits as well. Viking hitters drew 11 walks in the game.
VCSU 3, Dakota State 0
Andrew Frank pitched a complete-game shutout for the Vikings, giving up just four hits and striking out eight over seven innings. Frank did not walk a batter and needed just 79 pitches to complete the game.
The Vikings scored one run in the first inning and two in the second for an early 3-0 lead. Neither team would score over the final five innings. Both teams managed just four hits each in the game. Viking hitter drew 11 walks.
Meiklejohn was 2-for-4 and scored two of VCSU’s runs. Brady Anderson and Ben Bruenjes each had a hit and RBI. Joe Demers, Anderson, Bruenjes and Nate Bagby all walked twice.
Sunday
VCSU 14, Dakota State 3
Jordon Roos struck out eight batters over six innings as he earned his fourth conference win of the season. Roos gave up just four hits and two runs, walking only one batter.
The Vikings gave Roos some run support early with single runs in the first, second and fourth innings. The Vikings broke the game open with six runs in the fifth inning and five more runs in the seventh inning.
VCSU finished with 13 hits and did not commit an error. Dakota State scored its three runs on four hits.
Tyler Ukestad had a big game at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs. Brady Anderson went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Jared Meiklejohn was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs, and Ryan Sand went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs.
VCSU 13, Dakota State 7
The Vikings completed the series sweep with a 13-7 win in game two Sunday. VCSU put the hammer down early with four runs in the top of the first inning and six more runs in the third inning for a 10-0 lead.
Nate Bagby and Jared Meiklejohn both homered for VCSU as the Vikings racked up 13 hits in the series finale. Bagby finished 2-for-2 with three runs and four RBIs. Nate Soulis went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs. Ben Bruenjes added a pair of hits and Meiklejohn drove in two.
Steven Velarde picked up the win on the mound after starting and going four strong innings. Velarde allowed just one hit and one earned run. He walked one and struck out four. Thomas Lindgren, Andrew Hirsch and Max Koprek all pitched an inning of relief.