DICKINSON, N.D. (VCSU Sports Information) – In arguably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, win in program history, the Valley City State baseball team knocked the #2 ranked Bellevue Bruins 9-7 and end the Bruins 33-game winning streak and put themselves into the Frontier Conference championship on Sunday.
The Vikings are now 26-22-1 on the season while Bellevue falls to 45-4.
The game was scoreless for the first two innings, then the Vikings got on the board first in the top of the third. Connor Hoyt led off the inning with a double, then was sacrificed to third by Cody Wielgosh. Alexis Velasco brought him in with a sacrifice fly. Nick Senn then homered on the first pitch he saw, his ninth of the season, to give Valley City State a 2-0 lead.
Bellevue cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third on Oak Held’s sacrifice fly.
In the top of the fourth, with the bases loaded and two out, Bruin starter Brayden Anderson tried to pick off Evan Gonzalez at third base. When the throw was not caught by the third baseman and went into foul territory, Gonzalez scored to make it 3-1.
Bellevue got that run back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double b y Xavier Lerma to make it 3-2. An RBI ground out by Carter Claerhout would tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, Kaden Rozdeba hit a two-run home run, scoring Gonzalez who led off the inning with a single to make the scored 5-2.
In the top of the seventh, the Vikings scored four runs to take a seven-run lead. With two on and nobody out, Hunter Logan beat out a beautiful bunt single. When the catcher’s throw to first was errant, Merik Junker and Diesel Goya scored to make it 7-2. Gonzalez hit a sacrifice, scoring Logan to make it 8-2. Rozdeba then hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot to left to make it 9-2 Vikings.
Bellevue started to chip away at the Viking lead. With the bases loaded and no one out, Claerhout grounded out to first to bring home a run and make it 9-3. Ayden Makarus then hit the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a three-run home run and make the scored 9-7 VCSU. Jarrett Faue would come in to relieve Caleb Hoiseth, who relieved starter Grady Shipman. Faue would allow a hit and a walk but got out of the inning without any further damage.
In the bottom of the ninth, Faue would face the heart of the Bruins order. Claerhout singled to start the inning. Jackson Polk ran for Claerhout. A one-out error by Hunter Logan put runners at first and third. But Faure would get the last two batters out to end the game, sending the Vikings to the Frontier Conference Championship game.
Kaden Rozdeba led the eleven-hit attack by going 3 for 4 with two home runs and three RBI. Hunter Logan was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Alexis Velasco was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Evan Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI. Connor Hoyt was 1 for 4 with a run scored, Nick Senn was 1 for 4 with a solo home run, Devon Minney was 1 for 4.
Grady Shipman started and allowed six hit and four earned runs in six innings. He walked one and struck out one. Caleb Hoiseth allowed two hits and three runs in a third of an inning. Jarrett Faue then came on a gave up two hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two for the save.
UP NEXT: Valley City State awaits to see who their opponent will be in Sunday’s championship. Dakota State and Bismarck State play an elimination game Saturday with the winner to take on Bellevue. With winniner of that game would have to beat the Vikings twice