VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUVikings.com)- – The No. 9-ranked Valley City State softball team extended its winning streak to 13 games Monday as the Vikings completed a four-game series sweep against Dickinson State University.
Playing on the VCSU football turf for the second straight day, the Vikings won game one Monday by a score of 7-2, and then completed the series sweep with a 6-3 victory in game two.
Valley City State improves to 28-1 overall and leads the North Star Athletic Association standings with an 8-0 conference record. Dickinson State drops to 13-14 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
Up next: The top two teams in the North Star Athletic Association will clash in a four-game series this weekend in Valley City as the Vikings (28-1, 8-0 NSAA) host Bellevue University (24-12, 7-1 NSAA) for doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. The games will tentatively be played on the VCSU football turf.
VCSU 7, Dickinson State 2
Valley City State took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the second inning and then cruised to a 7-2 win in game one of the Monday’s doubleheader.
Renee Snyder’s RBI single in the bottom of the first inning plated Joelle Aiello for an early 1-0 lead. Dickinson State answered right back with two runs in the top of the second inning. With runners on first and second, Dickinson’s Rhea Paiva delivered a two-out single that scored Abi Brooks and Kayla Stephens for a 2-1 Blue Hawk lead.
Valley City State responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, scoring the first two on Blue Hawk throwing errors and the last two on RBI hits from Joelle Aiello and Renee Snyder. The Vikings tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on an RBI double from Jayme Menard and an RBI single by Riley Perryman.
VCSU collected 12 hits in the game and committed one error. Snyder and Lundin each had three hits for VCSU. Aiello was 2-for-4 and scored two runs, and four other Vikings had one hit each.
Dickinson State totaled three hits and two errors. Jaya Allen, Abi Brooks and Paiva each had one hit in the game.
VCSU starting pitcher Emily Smith went six innings to pick up the win. Smith struck out nine and walked just one. She allowed three hits and two runs – only one of which was earned. Emilee Wilson pitched the seventh inning in relief, allowing no hits and walking one.
Abi Brooks started and took the loss for Dickinson after giving up eight hits and six runs in 1 1/3 innings. Jaya Allen pitched four strong innings in relief for the Blue Hawks, scattering five hits and allowing just one run.
VCSU 6, Dickinson State 3
Valley City State completed the series sweep with a 6-3 win in game two Monday, scoring three runs each in the third and fourth innings to take control.
Trailing 1-0 entering the third inning, VCSU’s Jayme Menard and Joelle Aiello opened the inning with back-to-back hits, setting up a three-run rally. Menard scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Voni Culp and then Aiello crossed the plate on Renee Snyder’s RBI groundout. Riley Perryman capped the inning with an RBI double.
The Vikings tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning with a two-out rally. Snyder had the big hit in the inning, delivering a two-run single that scored Culp and Aiello to put the Vikings up 6-1.
Jaya Allen singled home Andrea Rodriguez in the fifth inning for Dickinson, cutting the Viking lead to 6-2. Allen drove in another run in the top of the seventh with an RBI groundout, making it 6-3 before VCSU pitcher Emilee Wilson recorded the final out.
Amber Stewart started in the circle for VCSU and went 3 2/3 strong innings. Stewart gave up just one hit and one run, walked three and struck out two. Emily Smith pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief, scattering four hits and allowing one run. She did not walk a batter and struck out four. Wilson pitched the seventh inning, giving up one hit and one run.
VCSU finished with eight hits and two errors. Kadie Anderson and Aiello each had a pair of hits, while Snyder drove in a game-high three runs.
Dickinson State finished with six hits and two errors. Allen drove in a pair of runs for the Blue Hawks and six different players had one hit each. Allen also pitched a complete game for Dickinson in the loss, giving up eight hits and six runs in six innings. She walked two and struck out two.