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City–On a beautiful sunshine day, the Valley City State University Vikings opened up with a win versus NCAA Division II MSU-Moorhead before dropping the second game of the double dip

Valley City State 5, MSU-Moorhead 4

The Vikings hit three doubles in the top half of the first to plate two runs and jump out early on the Dragons. Leadoff hitter Jane Pettit got it going with the first double, one of three hits she recorded in the game.

Pettit would eventually score on a Paige Smith double and Smith later scored on a Jen Shadlock double to complete the first inning scoring for the Vikings.

From that point on, the Vikings never trailed. The Vikings added two in the third and one in the fourth for their game total of five. The Dragons tallied one in the bottom of the first, two in the home half of the third and mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh but could only come up with one run in the loss.

Jen Shadlock picked up the win in the circle for the Vikings, her second win in as many starts on the season. Shadlock threw six and a third innings, giving up three earned runs, walking three and scattering six hits.

Pettit was relieved by Krystal Hathaway who threw the final two outs of the game to get her fourth save of the season.

MSU-Moorhead 10, Valley City State 6

In what turned out to be a slugfest, the Dragons finished the day outhitting and outscoring the Vikings. Starter Paige Smith was roughed up in the loss, going five inning and allowing eight earned runs on ten hits. Emma Nelson came on in relief in the sixth and allowed two earned runs on two hits.

Offensively, Smith and Margaret Wilson led the Viking offense with two hits each. Brittany Lehner led the Vikings with three rbi and Courtney Shadlock produced an rbi triple in the game.

The Vikings move to 19-15 on the season. The next action will be at home for the Vikings when they move back into conference play when Black Hills State visits for doubleheaders on Saturday at 1 and 3 pm and noon and 2 pm on Sunday.