ABERDEEN, S.D. (VCSUVikings.com)- The Valley City State softball team has a long road back to the NSAA Tournament Championship, but took a step in the right direction Friday afternoon in Aberdeen, S.D.

After being upset in the first round Friday morning – losing 3-2 to Presentation College – the No. 2-seeded Vikings bounced back with a 9-6 victory against Waldorf in loser-out action.

The Vikings will continue loser-out play Saturday at 1 p.m. against the loser of Presentation College and Dickinson State, who play a winner’s bracket game at 11 a.m.

The Vikings now need five more wins to claim the NSAA Tournament Championship.VCSU must win its next three games to win the “Navy Bracket”. That would qualify the Vikings for the NSAA Championship Series, where they would have to win two out of three games to take the entire NSAA Tournament.

The Vikings are now 38-11 overall this season, two wins shy of tying the school-record of 40 wins set by the 2016 team.

Presentation College 3, VCSU 2

The No. 7-seeded Saints scored the final three runs of the game to pull the first-round upset. VCSU led 2-0 after single runs in the second and fourth innings on RBI hits from Kadie Anderson and Autumn Perry.

Presentation College tied the game with a pair of runs in the fifth inning, and then took a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning on Krystle Schweers’ RBI single. The Vikings were able to put runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t bring home the tying run.

VCSU outhit Presentation College 8-6 in the game. Each team committed one error. Kadie Anderson had two hits to lead the offense, while six other Vikings had one hit each. Voni Culp and Jayme Menard scored VCSU’s two runs.

Nichole Reed started in the circle for VCSU, giving up three hits and two runs over five innings. She walked two and struck out six. Haley Butterfield took the loss after pitching two innings in relief, allowing three hits and a run.

VCSU 9, Waldorf University 6

Valley City State scored two runs in the third inning, two runs in the fourth and then five runs in the fifth inning to defeat Waldorf University by a score of 9-6 in loser-out action Friday afternoon.

The Vikings trailed 2-0 early, but used the big middle innings to build a 9-2 lead they would not relinquish. Valley City State racked up 12 hits in the game, including two hits each by Emily Smith, Kelli Moore, Voni Culp and Tatum Lundin.

Moore drove in a pair of runs for VCSU and hit her 18th double of the season. Both her and teammate Emily Smith now have 18 doubles this season, tying the school record set by Cyndi Figol in2008.

Smith, Culp, Anderson and Tatum Lundin each drove in a run, and Culp and Lundin both scored twice in the victory.

Haley Butterfield picked up the win after pitching the first four innings, allowing eight hits and two runs while walking eight. Emily Smith pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief, giving up four hits and four runs. Nichole Reed came on for the final out in the seventh inning to record the save.